Highschool: Devil X Seraph
by Demons Anarchy of Pride
Summary: "Live... my adorable Seraph of the End." Reincarnated Seraph of the End Arc: In Progress
1. Die Today, Live Tomorrow

A/N: Co-written with Code-Emperor07, the author of several incredible stories, each in their own right! Among his projects are **_Resurrected Trials_** , _**Crimson Dragon**_ , _**Fractured Existence**_ , and several others! I truly do owe him for this one!

For this fic, our delinquent hero Yuichiro winds up in the world of DxD due to unknown circumstances, and ends up living with the Hyoudou Family. He will be taking Issei's place as Rias' Pawn, but for the sake of the story itself, he will not be the one to inherit Boosted Gear. Don't worry, I'm not writing Issei off. I've got something planned for him. I'm still kind of iffy about making this a harem story, so we'll see how this goes first. And also, for future questions whether or not Yu will be relying on physical strength and his 'talents', not quite. You'll understand when we reach the Familiar Forest part. So, with that in mind...

Welcome to Highschool: Devil X Seraph!

* * *

 **Episode 1: Die Today, Live Tomorrow (Part I)**

* * *

The first thing Yuichiro Hyakuya awoke to was the sound of his alarm clock blaring loudly. It continued to ring loudly, causing him to growl in frustration. He felt very comfortable in his bed, so he didn't want to move around, and tried to block it out. Unfortunately, as it continued, his annoyance grew, and slammed his hand down on the damned thing, ceasing it's idle chatter.

He sighed as he reclined back into his bed, about to head back to sleep until his door slammed open. "Oi, lazy ass!" the intruder of his room shouted. "Wake up! We're gonna be late!"

In response, Yuichiro pulled his covers over his head. "...Shut up, Oppai Baka." he muttered, closing his eyes as he tried to go back to sleep.

"Oi...If that's how you wanna play...!" The intruder marched over to the side of his bed and tore to covered off him. WIth the removed covers, came the once sleeping teen as he fell off the bed and face planted onto the bedroom floor. "Get up! I don't wanna be late cuz of you!"

Yuichiro growled in annoyance, opening his light green eyes and glaring at the one who had apparently decided to be idiotic in the morning. He was young, sixteen or so, with brown bangs hanging at the forehead and slightly bushy at the back of the neck, standing up straight, possessing similar colored eyes. He was wearing a uniform, consisting of a black blazer, a buttoned shirt, red tie, and slacks.

This was his 'younger brother', Issei Hyoudou. Before one is to ask how Yuichiro, or rather, Yu for short, was apparently his 'older brother', it was because he was adopted by the Hyoudou family about four years ago. The circumstances behind it were bizarre to anyone who heard it: a boy that showed up at the shrine in town, seemingly out of nowhere, wearing bloodstained clothes yet possessing no injuries whatsoever. The family found him there, unconscious, and worried about him, took him to the hospital.

Yu didn't really remember much what had happened around that time... and in honesty, he didn't want to remember it. Seeing the images run though his head as nightmares, or when closed his eyes were bad enough. Even still, he couldn't bring himself to forget them either, otherwise it would be like spitting on his family's memory.

At any rate, back to reality, Yu glared up at Issei, who returned the glare in turn. "Dammit, what the hell?!" Yu snapped angrily. "An hour of sleep, is that too much to ask?!"

"Well excuse me for trying to get you to school on time! Remember the last time we were late?!" Issei retorted.

"Grgh...Don't remind me."

He remembered what happened all right... In all honesty, he wished he could forget what happened. Seriously, that damned glasses-wearing demon was even more terrifying than the fangs, and he didn't even think that was possible. Although, he was downright confused. Why the hell was she allowed to carry a whip on campus?! He didn't attend school up until the Hyoudou's decided to enroll him, but he was pretty sure weapons of any sort were NOT allowed!

"Well, unless you don't want to get chewed out by Shitori-senpai, come on!" the boy said, trying to look as stern as possible. "You want to fall behind?!"

Yu couldn't help but laugh. This? Coming from him? "Oh, that's rich!" he snarked. "Considering all you do is look at women's bodies! Seriously! You're a horndog who's gonna die a virgin!"

"Why you son of a...!" Issei growled. "That's IT!"

And so, once again, the daily routine of the Hyoudou family household took place, with the two engaged in a scuffle while the mother prepared breakfast for the family, and the father already at the table, reading a newspaper.

"Sounds like they're at it again." Ryonaga Hyoudou said, sighing.

"It appears that way..." His wife, Kasumi Hyoudou sighed. Ever since they adopted Yu, while it was all an good that he and Issei got along like brothers, there was also the fact that they also quarreled like siblings often.

Of course, they never really expected Yu and Issei to actually bond, given the former's apparent attitude.

When they first found him, he was pretty rebellious and rambunctious. But they didn't really blame them, as he lacked a past, lacked memories, only recalling his name.

The two felt sorry for him, and if what the doctor said was any indication, they pitied him. They had hoped that, by finding solace with them, he could let go of those painful memories, so they took him in. Of course, it was his decision whether or not he wanted to adopt the Hyoudou family name.

At first, he was against the idea of being with another family, despite the fact that the doctor told that, even if they didn't adopt him, he would be placed in a foster home. Already, though, they could tell he was likely to run away on the first day. In the end, the better option was for him to be with one family, rather than bounce around until one actually suited him.

In the beginning though, it was rather rough... especially since he and Issei didn't get along...

AT ALL.

It was the truth. Every second of everyday, the two would quarrel over even the simplest things. Yu was even more annoyed by his brother's perverted tendencies, as he kept preaching what that dirty old man taught him years ago. They still regretted not being able to save him from corruption sooner.

There was also the fact that Issei tried to extend that influence to Yu... and every time he did, he would receive a punch to the face.

Overtime, though, Yu started to mellow out... somewhat. He was still against going to school, deeming it completely and utterly useless. He was also known to ditch somedays as well, much to their chagrin, but they really didn't blame him. The boy was traumatized, though what sort of event it was must have been mortifying, if he watched his friends and family, nothing but orphans like him, being slaughtered right before his eyes. It was little wonder he didn't remember much of his life. The police did everything they could, but due to the trauma, Yu called the murderer a 'vampire'. The police simply shrugged it, but to this day, no one knew who had killed those children, or where it had happened, or where the bodies were.

At the very least, though, Yu was leading a semi-normal life, having stable grades, and was the star member of the kendo team as well. Although, because of his attitude, he didn't really have very many friends... in fact, they don't recall him having any at all.

It was kind of sad really. They really hoped he would be able to improve socially. They didn't want him to live in solitude like this forever.

After what he been through, it would only cause him to suffer more if he shouldered it all by himself.

"AAAARGH!" Issei's cry echoed through out the neighborhood. "YOU BASTARD! THAT WAS MY FOOT!"

"HAH! SERVES YOU RIGHT, HORNDOG!"

Kasumi sighed once again, this time shaking her head as she set the omelettes down on the table. "One would thing we would get used to this." she said to her husband, who hummed in agreement. Although, his newspaper concealed his look of irritation. "You think either of those boys will find a girlfriend?"

"Dear God, I hope so..." Ryonaga replied, his face on par with a saint performing a sacred prayer to the lord. "I really want grandkids to spoil, but Ise is turning into a good-for-nothing pervert, and Yu's anti-social as hell."

"I guess...If only those two would learn to change, then maybe they would have a chance..." Kasumi rested her chin on her palm in worry.

"More like them meeting the right girl, if you ask me." her husband retorted. The sounds of crashing objects continued. An irritated sigh escaped him. "Sounds like it's ending soon."

* * *

"Tch, this is absolutely pointless." Yu said in distaste as he and Issei walked on the path to school, surrounded by the other passing students. "Why the hell do I have to go?"

"Hey, if you wanna skip and get the crap beated out of you by Kaichou again, then be my guest!' Issei countered. "Really, go ahead! Just don't cry to me!"

"You're an ass!"

The other students were torn between watching the two bicker, while the others tried to ignore them. The girls, however, were quick to recognize them both.

"Hey, isn't that Hyoudou-kun of the Perverted Trio?"

"Why's he walking with Hyakuya-senpai?"

"What, you don't know? Hyakuya-kun is Hyoudou-kun's adopted brother!"

"What?! Really?"

"Still, they really don't get along all that well..."

"What do you expect? Hyoudou is a total creep, while Yuichiro's a delinquent."

Yu scowled deeply, hearing the whispers while Issei was completely oblivious. Dammit, why couldn't these people actually gossip behind his back when he wasn't around? It would be so much easier! Oh well, there really wasn't much he could do, considering that he was pretty much Shitori's target. If it wasn't for the fact that he got into fights with a couple of students, it was the attitude. If it wasn't the attitude, it was his tendency to ditch. If it wasn't his tendency to ditch, it was his clothes. Unlike the students, he chose to forgo the tie, and wore a black v-neck with neon grin strips along his shoulders and running down his arms and sides.

The woman was like a damned dog hunting down it's prey. Why the hell did she always go after him?! Didn't she have anything better to do?!

When they reached the school gate, Issei was joined by two students... the very same ones Yu was tempted to chop up with his bokken. Out of everyone in this damned dump, it was these buffoons that pissed him off the was tall with a shaved head. This was Matsuda, the self proclaimed Lolicon.

Next to him was a shorter teen with ash brown hair with spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose. This was Motohama, the glasses three size scouter. He claims to be able to see a girls three sizes.

It was the nicknames they picked for themselves.

"Yo, Ise my man!" Matsuda wrapped the breast idiot in a headlock, grinning from ear to ear. "What's up my brother?! You ready for some peeping!"

"Yeah, you-AGH!" Motohama was about to join in, but leaped back, his face pale as he pointed a shaky finger at Yu. "W-what the hell is he doing with you?!"

Yu glared at the idiots, scoffing as he walked on ahead of his 'brother', his wooden sword still carried over his shoulder, and his school bag held in his free hand. He didn't want to be around those morons, lest their idiocy be somehow contagious.

"It's a long story..." issei answered. Yu was still within hearing range before he turned around a corner.

He didn't even bother listen to them, his eyes set on the school in front of him. To be honest, he really didn't get why all the boys were so excited about this place. He knew it was an all-girls school until recently, so what the hell was all the fuss about? It wasn't like there was anything even remotely interested about it. Hell, he still didn't understand this place at all.

Why... why was the human race still alive? Why weren't there any vampires? He just couldn't understand it at all.

He shook his head, banishing whatever thoughts would lead him back to those memories. "Stupid friggin world..." he muttered, entering the facility. "Why the hell do I have to come here? I could be lounging around in bed sleeping."

As he continued to mutter to himself, he failed to notice the people observing him.

"Ara...isn't that Yuichi-kun?"

The one who had spoken that was a young woman, looking close to eighteen, with beautiful, shimmering violet eyes and long, jet black hair that was tied back into a ponytail, courtesy of the green ribbon in her hair. She wore the standard Kuoh Academy girls uniform, a simple buttoned shirt with a black, stylish tie with a black cape that covered her shoulders, and a red skirt. Unfortunately, she was rather 'gifted', shall we say, in the chest department, and as a result, her shirt was strained. Beside her was another girl of the same age, except in contrast, she had long, crimson red hair that fell down to her slim waist, and possessed beautiful sapphire eyes.

These girls were among the Three Great Ladies of Kuoh Academy, Akeno Himejima and Rias Gremory.

"I believe it is." Rias agreed.

"It's kind of surprising that the ace of the Kendo club is a delinquent type character." Akeno commented cheerfully.

"I know. It's gotten to be a pretty big problem to Sona."

That had been a major understatement. It was actually fairly well known to everyone in the school about the relationship between those two. Sona would apparently try to 'correct' the boy, who in turn ran like a bat straight out of hell, or somehow slipping away during one of the girl's lectures. In other words, a regular game of cat and mouse.

"So I've heard." the black-haired girl said, giggling in her hand. "And if what I've been hearing is any indication, people are actually taking bets as to how long he'll hold out against the Student Council President."

Rias smirked at that particular fact. While Sona did not tolerate gambling at the school, it was apparent that she was taking Yu as a higher priority. At the rate things were going, she knew it wouldn't be long before she brought out reinforcements, and asked her members for help.

"I wonder how he would fare if Sona brought the rest of the Student Council for back up?"

"Most likely, it would only be a matter of time before he's cornered and trapped." Even someone as elusive as Yu would have a difficult time if pursuers came in from all directions.

"Fufufu~" Strangely, Akeno seemed to be very excited at the very thought. "I might actually help her out... provided I get to bring rope."

Her friend sighed at her antics, but then again, what could you do? Akeno was a Sadist, plain and simple... and you really didn't want to be on the receiving end, unless you were a Masochist. But, in all likelihood, Rias doubted anyone would be... unless they were her hardcore fans who were still virgins and hoping to get into her pants. They would run like men possessed once they would see what she is capable of.

"By the way, Akeno..." Rias spoke up, eying her classmate's form as he entered the hallway leading up to the staircase. "You felt his presence as well, right?"

"Hai, Buchou." Akeno nodded, retaining her smile. "It's relatively human... but it's still there."

"Still though...for something like THAT to be inside him..." Rias shook her head. "...Just how was that even possible?"

"Who knows? There are many possibilities as to why. But we are only observing for now, are we not?"

"Indeed we are, but I'm sure the other factions will take notice of him, sooner or later." the red-haired Great Lady stated, flipping her hair as she turned to leave, Akeno following suit. "After all, it isn't every day you encounter an existence such as him."

* * *

"Tsuchikage?"

"Here."

"Yuribito?"

"Here!"

"Karubuki?"

"Present!"

"Himejima?"

"Here~"

"Gremory?"

"Here."

"Hyakuya?"

There was no response.

"Hyakuya?" the teacher called out, looking up from the roll-call sheet. "Yuichiro Hyakuya-kun?" He scanned the classroom, looking for the trouble student in question, but the boy was nowhere in sight. His bag wasn't at his seat, and neither was his bokken. The old man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered before looking at Akeno. "Himejima-san, would you be a dear and go find Hyakuya-kun?"

"Hai, sensei." The voluptuous teen obliged as rose from her chair and left the room. Finding him wasn't as difficult of a task as one would assume. After all, there was one place that Yuichiro Hyakuya would tend to go whenever he skips class.

And fortunately, Akeno knew where that was.

The boy in question was on the rooftop, his wooden sword leaning against the ladder leading up to the top of the water tank, and his bang sitting next to him. He was lying flat on his back, his legs sprawled out, and his arms behind his head, staring up at the sky.

"It's already been four years..." he muttered, staring up at the azure cape above him. "Ever since I arrived here..."

 ** _'I can still remember it clearly... It always happens, playing out whenever I close my eyes. I see all of my friends right in front of me, stuck in that stupid shack, having dinner while Mikaela is out with that damned fang bastard. Ever since the virus claimed humanity, the vampires had taken us in, taught us where our teachers left off, and fed off our blood. They kept us nice, clean, and fed. It was so sickening... I felt like I was losing my goddamned mind. That was why I made up my mind to start a revolution... to take out those vampire bastards, and make a place only for humans. I swore we would get the hell out of that place, and into the outside world. Even though we only had about a year for us to be susceptible to the virus, I knew we would at least find a way to find a way to live._**

 ** _Then... that day came, when Mika came home._**

 ** _That was when he told me the truth...why he was willing for that bastard vampire feed on his blood directly: to get his guard down and steal his gun._**

 ** _Mika never betrayed us. He was just as willing to save his family as much as me. We were young. We thought they stood a chance. All we had to do was plan carefully and escape through the door into the outside world, where we would be free, even if only a short while._**

 ** _However, our childish foolhardiness was the cause of our downfall._**

 ** _We were able to escape the prying eyes of the vampires, and we were so close... so close to having the freedom! God, we could almost taste it... But reality bit us in the ass when that fang showed up. He had been waiting for us to show up... waiting for when we would escape. He knew Mika was trying to wait for him to drop his guard._**

 ** _And then... he began to slaughter us. I watched as our friends died, being killed off, one by one. Their deaths were quick and painless, at the very least... They didn't even have a chance to scream before their lives came to an end. I just watched... so weak, so helpless as everything I loved was taken away, right in front of me._**

 ** _At the very least, I was able to put a bullet in that son of a bitch's skull._**

 ** _However...I wasn't even able to save his...my best friend's life. He protected me...He let the Vampire's take him while I was still free. He let me go...He wanted me to live...I wanted to help him but..._**

 ** _I couldn't do anything... Mika, that stubborn bastard... He shoved me away, and flat out told me to run. That was all I could do. So I ran... I ran and ran, all the way outside, into a field of snow. The world outside was like I imagined it... desolate, empty, lifeless. The entire city was ruined, buildings in a state of decay, and houses smashed to bits, the streets cracked and shattered._**

 ** _I had been running so long... by the time I had realized how far away I was, I was close to passing out, face first in the snow. The only thing I remember what happened before I was knocked out was seeing a girl staring at me... a girl with long, black hair._**

 ** _I don't what happened after that. When I came to, I was in this white room, a machine hooked up to me._**

 ** _I didn't know why I was there, how long I had been there, or what was even happening to me. It felt really hazy, my memories were all a blur. But for some reason, I thought I heard people talking...but I couldn't make out what they were saying._**

 ** _When everything snapped back in place for me, I saw a man in a white coat standing over me. He asked me if I remember what my name was. It was a stupid question, of course I could remember my own damn name. Then he asked me if I knew where I was. I didn't._**

 ** _The guy told me I was in the Kuoh General Hospital._**

 ** _Kuoh...That was the name of a place I never heard of. Just how far did I run to get into a place like this? But a hospital...there were still hospitals in this ruined world? And why was there an adult here? I thought they all died from the virus._**

 ** _That had been when the doctor introduced me to these people, a man and a woman. He told me that they were the ones who found me at the local shrine. That threw me for a loop. I don't remember passing out at a shrine..._**

 ** _Then, an even bigger surprise came... a man in a police uniform._**

 ** _So many adults...why were they still alive? Didn't the virus kill everyone 13 and older? But the policeman was also a surprise. Why were people like him still there? First the doctor, now him? You would've thought the world wouldve been in so much turmoil there wouldnt be such occupations._**

 ** _The officer asked me how I got blood on my clothes, and I told him the truth. My friends were all killed by a vampire._**

 ** _The guy didn't know whether to look at me like I was crazy, or if he was pitying me for some stupid reason. The doctor suggested it might be trauma or something. I just asked what the hell they were talking about. And then, out of the blue, a woman standing off to the side, told me straight to my face, "Sweetie... Vampires don't exist."_**

 ** _"No...You're wrong!" I shouted back. "They're real! They...they killed by family! They killed my brothers and sisters! Those bastards!" I was thrashing around, even though the doctor tried to calm me down._**

 ** _I just couldn't understand it all... how the hell could she say that? How the hell could she say that vampires weren't real?! Anyone that wasn't dead because of the virus was taken in and then raised like damned cattle!_**

 ** _However, they were startled by my outbursts, and my condition was written off as trauma. It annoyed the hell out of me. How the hell could they not know what was going on? Why were they looking at me like I'm some lunatic?_**

 ** _The police did a full check on me. Strangely, they didn't find out anything about me. There was no records of a Yuichiro Hyakuya ever existing, but even weirder still was that the Hyakuya Orphanage didn't exist... and neither did Mika. There weren't able to find a match on the blood on my clothes either. I still don't understand it at all. What the hell was going on?_**

 ** _I don't know what happened after that. It was just a long time of consultation with therapists, them thinking me calling the bastard who killed my family a vampire a way of me coping with what happened. I know damn well what I saw, but they didn't know a damn thing. The cops also told me that I would be placed in a foster home, seeing as how I didn't have a family._**

 ** _To hell with that. I wasn't about to be put in some stranger's shack. I flat out refused, but they weren't gonna budge. They could already tell I was trouble, and were about to get pretty assertive when the woman and a another man, probably her husband if what I saw on their fingers was any indication, came in._**

 ** _They asked me the one thing I never wanted to hear... not ever._**

 ** _"Would you like to come live with us?"_**

 ** _The couple gave their offer to me. Live with them...Why would they...?I don't want a new family...I want my old family back! Just why the hell did they have to die?!_**

 ** _But... it was either that, or going to home from home. I didn't want to be kept bouncing around from home to home... Beside, they looked nice enough. I guess it was them, or living running away from houses._**

 ** _The doctor thought it was a good idea, considering that they were the ones who found me in the first place. I was allowed to go with them to the house I would be staying in tomorrow. They still needed to run some stuff on me, considering everything that happened. I was glad for once. Hospital food tastes like crap, even the stuff the fangs gave us tasted better than this._**

 ** _But... nothing could ever prepare me for when I was allowed to leave. It was when I stepped outside that hospital with the woman, Kasumi Hyoudou, that I finally understood why no one believed vampires were real. It was when I saw people walking around a perfectly normal city, no damage or devastation in sight. It was when I saw that bright, azure blue sky._**

 ** _It was then that I understood... that this wasn't my world._**

 ** _There were no vampires...no virus...that was why everything seemed so...normal and peaceful. Would this be the what the world was like if there were no vampires?_**

 ** _It was almost like a dream to me... For a while, I thought that maybe, this was the sort of life I would have wanted to have with everyone else... with Mika, and the others. Even today, there hasn't been once that I don't think about them._**

 ** _Mika... would you ever enjoy this world... a world where there was no danger whatsoever?'_**

Yu smiled fondly at that last thought, about to close his eyes and drift away to sleep. That was what he usually did whenever class rolled around.

Sadly, once again, such a thing wouldn't be happening. "I found you, Yuichi-kun~"

His eyes snapped open in mild irritation. He turned towards the ladder's direction and came face to face with one of the Great ladies of Kuoh: Akeno Himejima.

"...What are you doing here?"

"The teacher asked me to retrieve you, silly." Akeno informed him, a smile on her face. "You always go up here, even though Sona already knows that this is where you usually go when you skip class."

"Hmph," Yu scoffed. "If Four-Eyes wants me, she knows where she can find me... not that I give a crap."

"Ara, stubborn are we?" Akeno climbed the ladder and knelt down by his side. "...You know, It's not fun to be alone by yourself like this."

Yu raised an eyebrow, looking at his classmate in confusion. "You're actually gonna skip?" he asked. "You? One of the most popular girls in school? Hell must be freezing over." he joked, and closed his eyes again, tuning out the world around him.

Akeno giggled, staring at his face. She had to admit, up close he was rather cute. She was sure he would be quite the heart-throb if it weren't for that bad-boy attitude of his. "Well, I didn't say that..." She smiled playfully.

"Then why go through the trouble to come here to just sit here instead of dragging me back?" Yu questioned the futility of the action.

"Touche, Yuichi-kun."

"And will you quit calling me that?" the boy asked, annoyed as he stared at her with one open eye. "It gets annoying."

"Would you prefer Yuichiro-chan?"

"...Go to hell."

"Ara, that isn't very nice." Akeno pouted jokingly.

"Just shut up."

"Well, jokes aside..." the black-haired beauty said as she looked up at the sky. "I can understand why you hang up here... It's very soothing." The girl giggled, and her tone of voice made something Yu's head sound of warning bells. "Don't you think so... Kaichou?"

Instantly, Yu's eyes shot open, and his body bolted upright, and came face to face with the third Great Lady of Kuoh: Sona Shitori, the Student Council President. While she was lacking in what Akeno and Rias had, she certainly made up for it with her cold beauty. She wasn't quite as tall as them, and lacked the cape the girls wore, and the sleeves rolled up to her biceps, much like how Yu rolled his up to the forearms. Her dark hair was cut short in a bowl style, and sitting on her face was a pair of square thin-rimmed glasses.

And once again, she was carrying a whip.

"Dammit, Four-Eyes!" Yu shouted at her. "Don't you have something better to do than to chase me around?! Also, shouldn't you be in class?!"

"Funny," Sona said with an icy tone in her voice. "Coming from you, Hyakuya-kun. And to answer your question, because of my duties as Student Council President, I am exempt from morning classes."

"Tch...figures..." Yu clciked his tongue in annoyance. "Why are you even here? Can't you just leave me alone?"

"You know I can't do that Hyakuya-kun."

"And why the hell not?!" he demanded, wanting to know what this woman's demented pursuit was all about.

In response to his question, the girl pushed up her glasses. "For one thing, there is the matter of you're apparent talent of picking fights. It's only the first term, and you've already been caught in five different brawls, most of which happen to be with your pervert of a brother."

"Tch, don't call him my brother..." Yu scowled, turning away as he crossed his arms. "Just hearing that makes me want to puke."

"Secondly, there is the matter of what I am seeing right now." she continued, ignoring him completely. "You've skipped a total of 30 classes. Even if you have acceptable grades, this is hardly excusable."

"Hey, the place is boring! There's absolutely nothing hear to learn!"

"And lastly..." the girl smiled slightly. "There is the matter of THAT." Her eyes were on his bokken. "As I recall... you are not allowed to carry a wooden sword with you during school hours, even if you are a member of the kendo team."

"Hey! Where I go, my sword goes. No way in hell I'm going without it for even a second!"

"Well, hope you won't be too heartbroken when I confiscate it."

Yu scowled. "Damned witch!" he cursed, grabbing his sword and bag, and jumping off the roof. He was already at the door when Sona jumped down, cracking her whip. "Shit!"

He immediately ducked underneath the strike, the sound of scraping metal screaming in his ears. Before she could get another hit in, Yu slammed the door open, and immediately bolted right out. Sona scowled, and immediately chased after him. "Get back here this instant, Yuichiro Hyakuya!" Akeno heard the girl screech, chasing after him like a banshee. The sadist giggled madly, a hand at her cheek.

"Never a dull moment with those two around."

* * *

"Gods, don't you know when to give up, you crazy bitch?!" Yu shouted over his shoulder as he sprinted down the hall and past the classrooms, disrupting the classes in session. He was also jumping around like a damned monkey, evading Sona's whip. He already got a first-hand taste of how horrible that thing was, and he certainly didn't want another repeat!

"Not until you hand over that sword!" Sona shouted back, keeping pace with him.

"Make me!"

The resilt of the two shouting was apparently enough for several students to poke their heads out the doors, some peering out the windows. They were all laughing as they saw the spectacle. "Run, Hyakuya!" one of the boys jeered. "Run like the wind!"

"The hell do you think I'm doing?!"

He hated spectators like this. All they do was blab the obvious. He then noticed an open window coming in close next to him. An idea formed in his head. He ran for a few more meters, turned on his foot, and rushed toward the opening.

"Hyakuya!" Sona roared, sending a cracking lash at him. Yu could feel the wind snapping at his back as he went soaring past the windowsill and the outside. Everyone gasped at the sight, considering that they were on a second story floor, and rushed to the other side of the room. To their shock and amazement, the delinquent landed safely on the ground, crouching on the ground as he stood up and looked up at the window, seeing the disbelieving look on the student council president's face.

He grinned, giving her a mock salute. "Laters, Four-Eyes!" he said, turning towards the school gates. Sona seethed with anger, gritting her teeth as she slammed her fist on the windowsill.

"I'll get you one day, Yuichiro Hyakuya!" she vowed for the school to hear. "Just you wait!"

Everyone was laughing, some clapping at the boy's miraculous escape. Three spectators in particular were whistling. "Damn," Matsuda grinned. "Never seen a guy with balls like that before."

Motohama chuckled, adjusting his glasses. "And the Rogue Samurai escapes to see another day." he said, mentioning the nickname Yu had earned due to his antics. "At this rate, it won't be long before Kaichou calls in reinforcements."

Issei just watched on as his adopted brother run away. "Yu..." Sure he an Yu fought a lot, but he genuinely cared for him as family. The way things are...he's only hurting himself. He distances himself from everyone else, not wanting to make friends. He just takes everything on alone.

Back when he first met Yu, he wasn't entirely sure how to feel. Maybe he felt a bit jealous, with all the attention he was getting? Maybe he felt as if he had been replaced? Either way, he was pretty antagonistic with Yu in the beginning, even purposely starting fights. Although, in every instance, he always got the crap kicked out of him. Eventually, he became determined to beat the crap out of him one day.

But... all of that changed when he pushed Yu too far one day.

 _ **'What the hell would you know what it's like?! Did you watch your family get killed right before your eyes?! Did you watch them get slaughtered without even doing one damned thing to help them?! Did you watch them all die, and you weren't able to a SINGLE! GOD! DAMNED! THING?!'**_

He had absolutely no idea how to respond to that. He couldn't. He couldn't match up to what he said. His family was still alive. They were living in peace. They were happy. But Yu had all that taken away from him.

He just couldn't bring himself to retort. It was uncalled for.

Ever since then, he wasn't even entirely sure how to approach Yu after that. He couldn't even look him in the eye for a month without feeling guilty. He had taken his teasing too far then, and he still hasn't found a way to make up for it. So, he did the only thing he could: try to cheer him up, and make him forget those horrible memories.

How would he do that, you ask? Simple... by showing Yu the glorious world of Oppai.

...and after that he was quickly punched in the face by Yu. He called him a disgusting pervert and continued to beat the crap out of him.

Oh well. At least it got him to stop brooding.

Even still, that didn't mean he was about to give up! He had an obligation to help his older brother out of his funk in whatever way possible! And what better way that to give him a taste of the world of hentai?!

Let it be known that Issei Hyoudou was a man on a mission.

* * *

Yu smirked to himself as he walked around the town, his bag slung over his shoulder with one arm and his bokken resting on his shoulder with the other. "Heh, take THAT, Four-Eyes." he said smugly. "Gonna have to do better than that to take this thing." There wasn't anyway in hell he was going to give this up. It had been a present to him from the guys in the club when they learned about his past. He wasn't sure who told them, but he had a pretty good idea who. Anyway, when it was his birthday, apparently some of the guys went and got him a finely made wooden blade for him to have. Naturally, he put the thing through the wringer, and suffice to say, it was working like a dream.

Then Sona started to get really antsy about the whole thing. It looked like she added another thing on her list of things to correct relating to him, but hey, not like he cared.

He just wanted her to stop bugging him. This had been going on for the past two years! WHen was she just going to give up? Why can't she just label him a lost cause and leave it at that?!

"Ha...troublesome..." He sighed again.

Well, since he was out of school, and only after second period too, he had a lot of free time left on his hands. What should he do? He had some money to spend, so maybe he could go to the arcade? His 'younger brother' introduced him to a fighting game that got him hooked, so maybe he should play that? Nah, he wouldn't have enough money to play it all day. Maybe he could get something to eat? There was that new coffee shop that opened up just recently that he wanted to try out.

"What to do, what to do..."

Decisions were open to him. Ever since he became part of this world, there were so many great things and entertainment that he was able to experience first hand.

Foods, music, television, games... the possibilities were endless. Even back when before everything started with the vampires, he wasn't really able to enjoy much of what was offered to him, mostly because back then, he just didn't know what to do with himself. Ever since that time when his father tried to kill him, and when his mother killed herself, he had been so listless and lost. It wasn't until later that he found a family with the Hyakuya Church, even though he hadn't fully admitted it until it was too late.

"Maybe I can kill some time at the theater." Yu thought aloud. "What's that really popular overseas one called? Pacific Rim or something?"

Arcadia Screen was a movie theater that had opened up about a year ago, and was well known for showing movies outside of Japan. It held a variety of genres to choose from, and everyone was allowed to pick what movie they wanted to see. Yu had visited it a couple of times with Issei. The first one they had seen was apparently a 'chick flick', if he remembered right. A movie called Twilight.

After seeing it, he wasn't sure which he hated more. Vampires from his world, or the vampires he saw in the movie. Seriously, since when the hell do they SPARKLE?!

It was a horrible representation of the race that made his life hell. If he could, he'd shoot the creator for making such crap. He didn't care if the girls hated him for it.

Well, he digressed. There were better movies to watch anyway.

As he made his way to Arcadia, which wasn't too far from the arcade 4GMR, he accidentally bumped into someone, nearly stumbling. "Whoa, sorry there kid." the man he bumped into apologized, his tone sincere. Yu turned, and couldn't help but frown. The man looked pretty shabby looking, with black hair that possessed blonde tinged bangs, along with a scruffy beard. His attire was also strange and formal, a simple black yukata with a brown coat over it. Both of his hands were placed within the sleeves, and a strange, whimsical smile was present on his face. "Didn't mean to."

"Huh?" Yu blinked before shaking his head. "No, sorry, that was my fault."

"Hey, no going formal." the man chuckled as he looked at his clothes. "Say, aren't you a student? Shouldn't you be at school right no? Or what? Did some banshee chase you out?"

Well, that was one way of putting it. The damned woman was a banshee in a sense. "Maybe."

"Ha!" the man threw his head back in laughter. "You're a funny one!"

"Hey, cut it out. She was just so annoying, I had no choice but to leave."

"Hoho, trouble with a girlfriend?" the strange man asked, grinning in a manner that Yu could almost mistake for Issei... except only worse. "If you want, I can offer some pointers."

"No thanks." he dismissed the man, turning around to leave. "Also, why the hell would I take advice from a stranger?"

"Hey, come on, don't be like that! We only just met!"

"And now, I'm leaving." Yu deadpanned. "Goodbye." And without another word, the boy turned on his heel and stormed off.

"Ah, man..." the stranger sighed, a hand at his head. "And I was just about to suggest Ghibli Studios' Spirited Away too." It had been a very good movie, or at least, he thought so. Truly, he had to give a hand to Miyazaki, that was by far his best work yet. As he watched the young boy leave, he developed a strange smile. "So, that's him, huh?" he said to no one in particular. "Gotta admit, he's a bit young."

He wasn't expecting such a young person who be housing something so...sinister. He felt the presence within the boy quite well, despite it being suppressed. Makes one wonder what happened to him.

"Well, this should be interesting, either way." the man chorted, shrugging his shoulders. "Still, though... I never imagined you would try to go behind my back, Kokabiel. Then again, can't say I blame you, given what sort of presence that boy has." he muttered, walking away and being lost in the small sea of people.

* * *

Yu couldn't help but yawn, holding a hand over his mouth as he walked out of Arcadia Screens. "That wasn't as good as I thought it would be." he thought aloud. He decided to choose a movie at random, out of five that peaked his curiosity, and chose a flick called I, Frankenstein. From the story itself, it was about a monster created by a madman who later tossed him aside like trash, only to have his wife killed by the monster in retaliation. He didn't really get it all that well, other than that the monster was caught in a rock and a hard place, being hunted down by angelic beings called Gargoyles and demons.

He found the whole scenario to be a tad cliche...the whole creation getting revenge upon its creator and being pursued by other enemies. It just seemed a tad predictable.

"Although, that thing he had was pretty badass." he chuckled, recalling the weapon Frankenstein was wielding. It was pretty damn brutal, and he could just imagine himself chopping off vampire heads with it. The mere thought of recalling those ideas was enough to bring a giant grin to his face. "Hah, that would be so awesome...!"

RING RING! RING RING!

"Huh?" The boy blinked, feeling his phone vibrating in his pocket. He had gotten it about three years ago, a sort of birthday present from Issei in order to make up for what he did when he accidentally pushed him over the edge. It was a simple model, being an ordinary flip-phone, colored black with a neon green trim. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he pulled it out, and looked at the caller ID. "Oh, great, what does the horndog want now?" he scowled, flipping it open and pressing it against his ear. "What is it, Oppai Baka?"

"Dammit, will you quit calling me that, Aniki?!" came the voice of his 'younger brother'. "It's bad enough the girls at school call me that!"

Yu grinned, recognizing the tone anywhere. It seemed like he didn't learn his lesson yet... one would think he'd get tired of being on Death's Door nearly all the time. "Lemme guess, you tried to peak at Katase and Murayama and the rest of the kendo girls, and you got caught."

"Don't rub it in...!" Issei growled back. Yu sighed for the upteenth time. Is he a masochist if he keeps peeping like that?

"So what do you want?"

"Rgh... Looks, it's getting pretty late. You coming back home anytime soon? Kaa-san is making Salisbury steak tonight."

Yu's eyes widened, and felt the waterworks in his mouth beginning to do their magic, saliva already beginning to flow out from the corner of his mouth. Truly, nothing in this world would taste better than Kasumi's cooking. It might have seemed cold that he didn't call them 'mom' or 'dad', but they knew the trauma in his heart had not healed, and accepted it. In fact, they weren't sure how they would feel if he suddenly began to call them by those names.

"...I'll be home soon, moron."

"Tch, you better be!" the brunette snapped back. "I covered your ass and didn't tell mom you ditched because you were too scared of Sona-senpai!"

"Hey, she was chasing me around the damn school with that whip of hers! You'd do the same damn thing if you were in my shoes!" he retorted.

"Actually, I'd take it like a man! ...If it meant I got to see her Oppai."

Yu sighed. "You see? THIS is why you can never get a girlfriend."

"Look who's talking!"

"So? I'm not interested in getting one yet. That's your life!"

"So?! What kinda guy DOESN'T want to have a relationship?!"

"At least I don't want to cheat on several girls all because I want a damn harem!"

"Hey! A Harem is every guy's dream!"

"Only perverted guys like you! Don't you get it?! If you get it on with several girls like that, you're basically cheating on them! THAT is why you won't get a girlfriend! You can't stay loyal! You would be no better than Makoto Itou from School Days!"

"WHAT?!" Yu had to pull his phone away from his ear. He had almost forgotten how loud he could get. "Oh, you did NOT just compare me to some sleazy anime character!"

"Damn right I did." he replied smugly. "Anyway, later doofus."

"This isn't over-!"

CLICK

Yu slammed his hone shut, and slipped it back into his pocket. It was so easy to rile that idiot, it was almost funny. "Well, guess I better get home." he said, stretching his arms. "Don't wanna miss Kasumi-san's delicious steak! Hahah, man! Just thinking about it is enough to make my mouth water!"

However, just as he was about to rush home to get his food on, a timid, shy voice came up from behind him. "A-ano... Excuse me?" they called out. "Are you... Y-Yuichiro Hyakuya-kun?" Yu scowled in irritation. Ah, great... another damned fan girl. He sighed heavily as he scratched his head. Dammit, why did they keep trying to ask him out? Can't they see he wasn't looking for a relationship?

"What do you want?" he asked, turning around to face them. As he suspected from the voice, it was a girl with black hair and dark eyes, wearing a school uniform that didn't belong to Kuoh Academy. It was a simple black blazer with a dark gray skirt, knee-high socks, and a bag carried in her hands.

"M-my name is...Yu-Yuuma Amano!" She introduced herself. She seemed really nervous.

"Okay...And what can I help you with?" Yu questioned in skepticism. Why was a girl he had never met before want with him?

"U-um... well... you see... Er..."

"Well?" Yu crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently. "I'm waiting."

"Will...W-Wil you go out with me?!" She bowed formally.

Yu's eyes widened. Well... that was a first. Normally, they would just run up to him and hand him some love letter or something. Instead, she was outright asking him? At the very least, he could give her props.

But...

"Hell no, why should I?" he asked, turning on his heel. "I don't even know you. Hell, we only just met like a few seconds ago."

"B-But...!" The girl seemed desperate to change his mind.

"Sorry, mind's made up. Goodbye."

"T-then can we at least be friends?!" she shouted. Yu didn't even bother to answer that. Friends? You had to be kidding? What part of them just meeting did she not get? Was she braindead or something? Thinking that, he walked away, leaving the girl stunned into silence. Sure, he felt bad, but she was a girl, he was pretty sure she would get over it.

However, he failed to notice the dark scowl that appeared on her face, a dark contrast to her earlier behavior.

"Damned brat..."

* * *

"Yo, I'm back." Yu shouted as he opened the door. Instantly, the smell of food flooded into his nostrils. "Whoa... the idiot wasn't kidding!"

"Welcome back, Yu-kun." Kasumi smiled at him. SHe had just finished setting up the table for dinner.

"Yo, Kasumi-san." he greeted. "Eh? Where's Ryonaga-san and the dork?"

"Oi, I heard that!" Issei's voice shouted from up the staircase. "I'll be down in a minute!"

"What? You jacking off to your porn again?" Yu grinned, hearing what sounded like the harsh smack of flesh hitting wood.

"Dammit, Yu! I do NOT jack off!"

"Whatever, just hurry up and get down here, otherwise I'm eating your share!"

"You'd better not! Otherwise, I'll spread rumors around school that your gay!"

The older boy cringed at that, though not for the reason one would think. 'Knowing those damned idiot girls at school, they'd probably be squealing so loud they'd wake up the dead.'

He really disliked the annoyances in this world. Why can't anyone give him some peace and quiet? That is all he asks!

"You do that and I'm gonna kick your ass with my kendo sword!"

"Now now, boys." Kasumi giggled in her hand. "No trying to pick fights before dinner. Yu-kun, will you be a dear and fetch Ryo for me?"

He nodded as he set his blazer on the chair and leaned his bokken against the wall, entering the back part of the house. It wasn't long before the family gathered at the table. Other than Salisbury steak, there was pasta, a large salad, some shrimp, and even slices of beef. All in all, it looked good... at least to Yu. Even after four years, he still couldn't get over how delicious everything tasted!

"So, how was school you two?" Ryonaga asked as he made his own plate, taking some of the salad and beef with a bowl of pasta. "Anything new?"

"No, not really." Issei answered before Yu could say anything. "Although, Yu did get into trouble again with Kaichou." He gave a disapproving look at his adoptive brother. "Seriously, Aniki. Just give her the damned thing. It'll save you the trouble."

"Over my dead body." Yu harumphed. "I ain't giving up my sword. Besides, the day I give in to Four-Eyes is the day you stop trying to peep at Katase and Murayama."

"Oi! I'm never gonna stop!"

"Exactly! And by the way, you're never gonna get a girlfriend if you keep invading their privacy."

"Yu-kun has a point, Ise-kun." Kasumi pointed out. "At the rate your going, you'll be alone, and you'll never get married." And just like clockwork, once again, the usual routine of the Hyoudou household took place as anime-style tears ran down hers and Ryonaga's faces. "And we won't be grandparents!"

"Why does our son have to be a good-for-nothing!"

On cue, Issei face-faulted, causing Yu to burst out laughing. "Hah! Saw that one coming!"

"Oh, shut up!" the boy snapped back. "You haven't gotten a girlfriend either!"

"Tch, like I need one. Besides, girls are annoying, especially earlier when some girl I don't know just goes up and asks me if I want to go out with her."

"And you refused?!" Issei cried, eyes wide. How the hell could he not realize such luck?! That was his one shot to being a man dammit! And he just went and blew it! Argh, why did he have to be so frustrating all the time?!

"Of course I did. I'm not gonna date some chick I don't know."

"But why not?"

"Are you even using common sense?!" Yu stared at him like he was an idiot. "Why would I date some girl that I only just met? Not only does it sound fishy, but it makes you sound desperate."

"Dude, that was your chance at becoming a man!"

"For you, maybe!"

"Gah, you're so friggin' dense!"

"Look who's talking, Oppai Baka!"

"DAMMIT, STOP CALLING ME THAT ALREADY!"

Kasumi sighed, shaking her head. "Teenagers..." she muttered before she took a ladle into her hand and-

WHACK! SMACK!

"OW/YEOWCH!"

"No fighting at the table, boys." she scolded the two, wagging her finger at them.

"Hai, Kaa-san/Yes, Kasumi-san..." the two said, rubbing the lumps on their skulls. The woman smiled, and sat back down.

"And that is why I don't make your mother mad..." Ryonaga stated as he continued eating.

Yu didn't have anything to say to that. In all honesty, Kasumi was even scarier than the caretaker back at the orphanage. He chose not to cause another little skirmish at the table, and took a bite out of his steak. Instantly, a giant smile stretched across his face. "Hell yeah, now we're talking!" he cheered, beginning to devour the meat in front of him.

Kasumi giggled. "I'm glad you like it, Yu-kun."

"Sheesh," Issei sighed. "You'd think you've never had steak before, despite us having it for four years."

"Hey, Kasumi-san's cooking is really good! What I ate before doesn't even begin to compare!"

At the mention of his past, Issei fell quiet, as did Kasumi herself. Ryonaga didn't really say much at dinnertime, but even he felt slightly uncomfortable. Yu's past was something of a taboo subject for them, especially anything remotely related to his previous family. Though they didn't know much, they did know that apparently Yu's father tried to kill him, and his mother committed suicide. Afterwards, he was sent to the orphanage, where he met his family for the first time.

Issei didn't mention this to anyone, but there were nights when he could hear his adoptive brother calling out for someone named Mika, and every time he did, he would always be crying.

He didn't even tell Yu that this happened. He couldn't let such things disturb him. And based on his restless sleeping, Issei assumed that Mika was also a taboo subject.

He wanted to help him, but he didn't have the slightest idea as to how.

Sometimes, he wondered if he could even be of any help at all.

* * *

The next day, Yu and Issei had arrived at school without much fuss. The two had gone to their respective classes, ignoring he whispers around them. Of course, the former was also on the lookout from the student council president, keeping his wooden sword close at hand. There was no way in hell she was getting her hands on this!

As he took his seat, he placed the bokken against the wall, and placed his elbows on the desk, waiting for the lecture to start. Well, not that he would listen. He still failed to see the point of such stupid stuff. Seriously, even the stuff the fangs taught him weren't this dull.

"Ah, Yuichiro-kun." the teacher nodded his head, pleased. "Glad you could join us today."

Yu scoffed, waving the old man off and laying his head against his hand, staring out the window. "Whatever..."

"Anyway, for today's lesson..."

He ignored the lectures of the teacher, his mind wandering into the past, present, and future.

His mind drifted back to when things used to be peaceful in his world, when he was with his family and the people at the orphanage... then he recalled how quickly things went to hell, how his world collapsed right in front of him as every adult was falling dead at his feet, even teenagers. The horrible memories of when they were in captivity nearly made him scowl in annoyance, even more so when he remembered how he had abandoned his friends all just to save his own life. Even if Mika wanted him to live, even if his friends wanted him to live... he should have stayed behind 'till the end.

 _'Do I really... deserve to live this life?'_

That questioned continued to eat away at him. Did he deserve to live like this...when his family wanted to live like this as well Was he really worthy of this new life?

The more he thought about it, the more the guilt continued to eat away at him. Why? Why had he run? He managed to kill one of those vampire bastards, hadn't he? He had managed to avenge their deaths, right? So why... why had he left them? Why didn't he try to take their bodies with him? The very least he could have done... the thing he should have done was give them a proper burial.

His family deserved to be buried after all the hardships and sacrifices they made.

His thoughts drifted to his life now. While he was still trying to enjoy, to some extent, the world he now lived in, he still couldn't help but feel annoyed. Instead of vampires, you had rapists, thugs, thieves, murderers, terrorists... the world was still a mess. But there was always that nagging feeling, that something screaming in the back of his head telling him something. Just what was he missing?

"Yuichiro-kun?" the teacher called him out, causing him to snap away from his thoughts. "Do you know the answer to this question?"

"S-sorry, what was it?"

He scowled when some of his classmates giggled, Akeno Himejima being one of them. "The question was," the teacher said calmly, not at all bothered by his student's absent mind. He was more than aware of the situation concerning the boy. "What was the name of the vampire that shared the same name as the book that Bram Stoker published?"

Ugh, vampires... The very last thing he wanted to hear!

He cursed the fact that the literature being taught now was about vampires. On fact, a lot of the literature they have learned so far was.

"A damn fanged bastard named Dracula." Yu answered in the utmost honesty, groaning as he looked out the window again. "He was based off some prissy brat named Vlad the Impaler."

"Very good, Yuichiro-kun." The teacher nodded in approval, paying no mind to the crude comments of the character's names and origin. He moved on with the lesson, but Yu already tuned him out.

Of course, the students were quick to pick up on his apparent distaste for vampires.

"Man, what's up with him?"

"Ever since we started learning about vampires, he's been really fidgety!"

"Maybe he just doesn't like them?"

"Hah, I bet ya he'd wet his pants if they were real!"

"Ssh, he'll hear you!"

Yu scowled at that comment. He had killed one before, idiot. He could sure as hell do it again. Honestly, this was why he hated gossip. The idle chatter never ceased! The bell needed to ring dammit. At this rate, he was gonna go nuts.

* * *

"Now then, starting where we left off from yesterday, the basic theory behind geometry is rather..."

Issei couldn't focus on the lecture today. He had been leaning back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling with his book up to make it look like he had been paying attention. He wasn't afraid to admit that math had not been his strong suit... hell, he never really paid attention. Yu, despite his tendencies to ditch, had managed to help him out though, so he was the reason why he was even passing in the first place. Of course, there was another reason the book was up.

It was to hide the dirty magazine Motohama had given him, which had yet to be opened.

He had been itching to crack it open and examine each little detail of the models within, but never got the opportunity to. Hopefully he would get a peek soon. The anticipation was killing him.

The reason he hadn't opened it up yet was because his mind was racing back to his adoptive brother. Sure, it might be getting rather repetitive to worry about him, but he couldn't help it! Even if he was the younger one here, he could still worry, shouldn't he?

 _'It's already been four years since he came to live with us, and he still has those walls surrounding him.'_ he thought sadly, which was mirrored by his expression. _'Yu... I know that it was hard to lose your family, but... is it really so hard to let other people in?'_

It must've been truly traumatic for him, making him close his heart up like that. If only there was a way to open it again. He wouldn't know unless he tried!

 _'But... what can I do?'_ Issei thought, placing his arms on his desk. _'I mean, I really don't know anything about him, other than that he lost his whole family. Maybe if I can learn more about them... But where could I look? The police said they didn't have anything on them, or the person who killed them, and not even on Yu himself.'_

He sighed. _'There has to be something I can do... something that even some useless pervert like me can do!'_

* * *

School had reached its end at long last. Normally, this would be the time when Yu would head on home with Issei, or go out into the town and do something to kill some time before heading back. It was the usual routine, one of which he stuck to in these last three years since becoming enrolled in Kuoh.

Sadly, he was once again on the run from the hound of hell. "Don't you know when to give up, you crazy broad?!" Yu screamed, running down the hall at full speed and trying to avoid hitting some of the students while Sona, once again holding her trusty whip, was hot on his tail, a determined gaze found in her eyes. "Seriously, just leave me the hell alone you witch!"

Quickly making a turn to the left, he dashed straight forward, seeing a golden opportunity. _'Yes! Golden opportunity!'_ he cheered once again for a window being open. Sadly, however, his hopes were dashed when he was forced to come to a halt when a student blocked his path to freedom. He scowled upon recognizing him. "C'mon! You too, Blondie?!"

Saji Genshiro grinned, showing off a slight fang to his molars. He had unruly blonde hair, and like Sona, he had only the slacks and shirt on, complete with the tie. "Sorry!" he apologized, still grinning. "But you're not going anywhere!"

"Son of a bitch!" Yu swore, looking over his shoulder to see Sona quickly gaining on him. The boy immediately made a dash for the stairwell, but once again, he was forced to a stop. "Oh, great! Four-Eyes #2!"

"I would appreciate if you did not refer to me like that." Tsubaki Shinra replied as she adjusted her glasses. "And these are Kaichou's orders."

"Dammit, so she DID bring the Calvary."

"Correct."

Yu turned, and to his horror, Sona stood there with an evil glare reflected in her glasses, cracking her whip menacingly. "Now, there are two ways this can go: Hyakuya." she said with a cold tone, as usual. "Either give yourself up... or make this painful for yourself. Which do you choose?"

Yu gritted his teeth. As much as he hated to admit it, he was pretty much cornered like a rat in the trap. He honestly hadn't expected the hellhound to call in her lackeys. Thankfully, though, he lived by a saying: When in doubt, get the hell out! "I choose... none of the above!" he shouted, and bolted for his next target of escape, which was right next to Tsubaki.

The railing.

Sona's eyes widened. "Are you actually planning on-?!" she shouted, and to her horror and shock, the boy was once again doing something crazy, hopping over the railing and plummeting down to the first floor... on the third floor. "Have you lost your mind, Yuichiro-kun?!"

"No! I'm perfectly sane!" Yu called back as he tucked in his knees and rolled over in the air before finally landing on his feet. He stood up straight as if everything was perfectly normal. Everyone watching couldn't believe what they had just seen.

He stood up, and grinned back at their stupefied faces. "Catch ya later, Four-Eyes!" he shouted, giving a mock salute before shooting off like a bullet straight for the front door. On the third floor, Sona gnashed her teeth together harshly, and held up a shaking fist. Saji gulped, taking a step back while Tsubaki was looking nervous.

It was never a good thing when Sona got this worked up.

"YUICHIRO HYAKUYA!"

* * *

"You hear that?"

"Yep. And once again, the Rogue Samurai escapes."

"Damn, and Kaichou brought in Genshiro-kun and Shinra-senpai!"

"He's gonna have to be extra careful if he wants to avoid the Student Council now!"

Issei sighed, shaking his head while his two friends were impressed. "Damn, your bro's getting bolder by the minute." Matsuda commented. "Remind me again, why the hell isn't he on the track team?"

"Because he's a member of the rivaling kendo team, Matsuda." Motohoma answered. "Although, I will say this much: He's one toug son of a bitch!"

"Yep..." Issei sighed again, hanging his head low. "That's my brother for ya."

* * *

"Whew..." Yu panted heavily, taking a short break at the park nearby. It wasn't very far from the school, and given his usual schedule, the hellhound wouldn't even think to look here. "Oh man... Got away from her again...!" he breathed, his hands on his knees with sweat pouring down is brow. "What the hell is up with that brat? The hell did I do to her?!"

His question went unanswered as he moved to sit down on a nearby bench. He lay outstretched across his seat with his wooden sword next to him.

"Huh..." he mused. "Don't think I've seen the sky so orange before." A soft smile appeared on his face as he let his head rest against the bench's rim, closing his eyes. For a while, he felt slightly at peace with himself. He wondered how long he could have peaceful moments like this, if only for a short while.

' _ **Yu-chan, you shouldn't be so picky.'**_

 _ **'Aw, shaddap! I HATE broccoli!'**_

 _ **'C'mon, Yu-oniichan, it's really good!'**_

 _ **'Nu-uh! No way! You can't make me!'**_

 _ **'Oh, quit being such a baby, Yu-kun!'**_

 _ **'Forget it. Yu-chan's a big old wuss.'**_

 _ **'SHUT UP, MIKA!'**_

His face soon fell in remembrance. Even now...the happy times that he once took for granted remained deep within his mind. Never once had he wanted to forget those times. His family may be dead...but they live on...within his memories of the times they shared.

 _ **'Hey, Yu-chan?'**_

 _ **'What is it, Mika?'**_

 _ **'You're going to fight the vampires, right? And start a revolution?'**_

 _ **'Damn right I am! And I can guarantee you, the first fang I'm gonna beat the shit out of is that noble you've been hangin' with!'**_

 _ **'These are vampires we're talking about, Yu-can. We have to be smart.'**_

He knew that...He knew that...but he still failed.

That failure was his biggest regret of all...

 _ **'Yu-chan... We'll always be family. Remember that... okay?'**_

 _ **'W-wait, Mika! MIKA!'**_

"Mika!" Yu sat up straight. His brow damp with cold sweat.

His eyes were wide, his breath returning to it's previous state. His clothes stuck to him uncomfortably because of the sweat that caked his body. His chest fell up and down heavily, and his body trembled. He pressed a hand to his face, his eyes covered by the digits. "That dream again..." he murmured as his teeth clenched together tightly, sucking in his breath. "Dammit... Why did they..."

A tear fell from his cheek. "Mika... I'm so sorry..." he whispered, his voice breaking from the emotions he had been bottling up. For all the time he had been here in this peaceful world, this world that embodied their dreams of a world without danger, he still had the nightmares. Every night, every day, every time he closed his eyes, he could hear them dying, one by one. He could always see them being slaughtered right before his eyes.

He could always see that fanged bastard shoving his arm into Mika's chest. To this day, no matter how much time passed... it would forever haunt him.

"Dammit...!" He kept cursing his weakness at that time. He could've done something! Why was he so weak?! Even though he put a bullet to the bastard's head, nothing changed!

If only... if only he had been stronger...!

...

 _ **...DO YOU WANT POWER?**_

Yu's eyes widened, his head snapping up. "W-what the?!" he shouted in alarm, shooting up to his feet. He looked around wildly, feeling as if his body had just been dumped in water that had just been recently frozen. "The hell was that...?"

"Hmhmhm... What luck..."

Yu whipped around, grabbing his wooden sword in the process. He recognized that voice from somewhere...but after seeing who it was who spoke, he remembered. It was Yuuma Amano, the girl who asked him out on a date yesterday. However, she seemed different. Her eyes were much sharper than last time. her attire was now a skimpy, black leather bondage outfit. But the main difference were the ebony feathered wings on her back.

"I was actually on my way to see my comrades, and here I found you..." the girl said in a mature, cold tone. "Truly, I must be lucky."

Yu scoffed, his sword resting on his shoulder. "And what the hell is this supposed to be? Some kind of foreplay?" he leered. "Cause it's not exactly a turn-on!"

"Hmph, arrogant child." Yuuma flipped her hair, giving him a cruel smile. It made him freeze on the spot. This feeling... this was just like that time... "I don't need some filthy creature to lecture me on appeal... Still, I also can't let someone as dangerous as you roam around freely, either. So..."

Her smile was sickly sweet as she raised her palm.

"...Will you die for me?"

In an instant, a mass of light gathered into her palm before stretching out into a spear. She pulled her arm back in a movement to throw it.

Yu, sensing the danger that weapon carried, immediately grew on edge. _'Tch, that thing ain't gonna hit me!'_ he thought cockily. _'I don't care what the hell she is! She's going down-!'_

nd then, in the next moment, the spear was gone. Yu suddenly felt his body go cold, as if it had just been dumped in the arctic, and his arms suddenly became limp. His bokken fell out of his grasp, clattering to the ground. "W-wh...a...t..." he gasped quietly, his eyes quivering at the smug form of Yuuma before looking down.

Impaled right through his stomach was the spear. His shaky arms tried to reach for it, in hopes of pulling it out, but it disappeared, disintegrated was more like it, as soon as his fingers brushed against it, creating a harsh sense of warmth against the tips of his fingers. Blood gushed out from the wound, the liquid flying out of his mouth as the strength in his body vanished. He fell flat on his back, not even able to feel the impact.

"Don't take it personally." Yuuma told him, her smile still plastered on her face. Her legs were crossed over, with one hand carressing her cheek, her eyes suggesting some sort of sick and twisted pleasure. "You really were my type, Yuichiro-kun... But you were too much of a danger to be left alone. After all, you are one of **_them_**."

"O-one...One of...who...? Guak!" Yu coughed up more blood as he collapsed on his knees. His vision was starting to blur. But he could still see the woman smirking.

"Nothing to concern yourself over."

His vision was becoming shit. He couldn't even see straight anymore!

"It's a shame, really." he heard the crow say with amusement. "I was hoping we would be able to go on a date before I got to kill you, but oh well." A giggle followed. "Well, sayonara, Yuichiro-kun~"

Then, with the sound of wings flapping, the woman vanished. Yu growled, trying to lift himself off the ground, but he couldn't muster the strength. He felt too weak... He felt so cold, and his eyes... they felt so heavy.

 _'You've got... to be kidding...'_ he thought, still struggling to stay awake. _'I'm really... going to die here...? Before I've... had a chance... to do something...?'_

Faces ran through his head. The faces of his family, of his friends from the orphanage... of the people he had watched being killed before his eyes. _'Mika... Guys... Will I... see you guys...?'_

For a moment, there was comfort. He would finally be able to see them again, wouldn't he? They would be together, just like old times. They wouldn't be separated, they would finally be reunited, after so long...

' _ **I swear...'**_

That voice... was that... his...?

 _ **'I swear... Mika... Akane... Everyone... I... I will...'**_

Yes... That was his... It was his voice... from the day he...

 ** _'If I ever find my way back home... I will... KILL EVERY LAST VAMPIRE THAT STANDS IN MY WAY!'_**

Yu's vision snapped back together for an instant, desire and strength burning in his body. His fingers grinded harshly against the ground, the nails threatening to break and bleed as he tried to get up once again.

 _'That's right... My promise...!'_ he thought, pain erupting all over his body. ' _I have to... Keep it...! If I... die now... I won't be... able to face... Mika and the others...! I've got to... I want to...!'_

"I... Want..." Yu growled through gritted teeth. "To... Live...!"

Once again, however, his strength fled from him, and his body fell back. Once again, he coughed up blood. "Damn... it..."

There was no way... he wasn't going to die here... He couldn't face Mika and Akane, or anyone else from the orphanage...! He need... to keep his promise god dammit!

As his vision was beginning to give away, he heard a strange sound... it couldn't be described, but he could have sworn he saw a bright light engulf most of his vision. Then, he heard a familiar voice... He knew he heard it somewhere before, but... where...?

"Looks like I was right to ask Koneko to watch after you." the owner of the voice, a woman, said with slight sorrow. "I'm sorry this happened to you... But, you have a strong desire... So I shall allow you live once again. However, you must live... only for me."

He looked up, his head nudged upwards. He couldn't see their face... but he saw their hair. Their red hair, the same color as the liquid that dribbled down his stomach and mouth.

Before darkness took him, he could have sworn he saw a smile on their face.

"Live... my adorable Seraph of the End."


	2. Die Today, Live Tomorrow II

A/N: Co-written with Code-Emperor07, the author of several incredible stories, each in their own right! Among his projects are **_Resurrected Trials_** , _**Crimson Dragon**_ , _**Fractured Existence**_ , and several others! I truly do owe him for this one!

For this fic, our delinquent hero Yuichiro winds up in the world of DxD due to unknown circumstances, and ends up living with the Hyoudou Family. He will be taking Issei's place as Rias' Pawn, but for the sake of the story itself, he will not be the one to inherit Boosted Gear. Don't worry, I'm not writing Issei off. I've got something planned for him. I'm still kind of iffy about making this a harem story, so we'll see how this goes first. And also, for future questions whether or not Yu will be relying on physical strength and his 'talents', not quite. You'll understand when we reach the Familiar Forest part. So, with that in mind...

Okay, now we are getting into the second chapter! I'm really glad I'm getting good reception for this fic! To be honest, I've been having trouble getting Yu's character completely down. I mean, sure, he's almost like an Eren Yeager clone, but he's pretty different from our Titan-loathing suicidal bastard. Anyway, with this chapter, we're kicking off the **Reincarnated Seraph of the End** Arc!

* * *

 **Episode 1: Die Today, Live Tomorrow (Part II)**

* * *

"Mnrgh... Ugh..."

Yu felt like total, and absolute crap. His limbs felt like lead, his chest hurt like hell, and his skull was currently suffering from a migraine. For a moment, he wondered if this was what it was like to suffer from a hangover. He wondered briefly what had happened last night, but his memories came up fuzzy. He couldn't recall much, other than hearing someone talking to him. What did they say to him...? Oh, yeah, something along the lines of him living only for them, right?

Well, whatever, it was probably just some stupid dream. Considering his alarm clock has yet to go off, he was going to assume that he woke up earlier than intended, meaning he would be able to catch some more sleep. Unfortunately, knowing Issei, he would come in and drag him out of bed, and they would once again get into it. Although, since when did he care? He didn't give a damn about school, so why should he go? Maybe if he played out some kind of deep sleep role, he would leave him alone?

Going with that idea, Yu ignored the pain as best he could, and snuggled up against the soft, bountiful pillows in his face, one hand squeezing them fondly while the other clutched to the one near his nether regions, eliciting a soft groan.

...

...

...Wait a second, groans? What?

On reflex, he gave the pillow another squeeze. It lacked the cloth-like texture they've always had, being silky smooth and elastic, while the one at his face was very squishy.

"Mmmm~ Don't be so rough..."

...

...

...Wait, what the hell?!

Yu's eyes snapped open almost immediately, and found himself in between two very soft, very NOT pillows, several strands of crimson hair flowing down the beautiful skin in front of him and gently brushing against his face.

"..."

One second passed...then two...then three...He remained where he was lying down for several passings of time. When he brain finally registered what was going on, he quickly jumped off the bed.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-WHAT THE HELL?!" He shouted from the top of his lungs.

His body crashed against the wooden floor, directly able to feel the rough, yet smooth wood. He gawked at the sight in front of him, eyes wide in sheer disbelief, and a shaky finger pointing at the one who had apparently somehow managed to sneak inside his bed. He was able to easily recognize her due to her beautiful, scarlet hair.

"G-Gremory?!" he cried in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing. "W-what the hell are you doing in my bed?!"

His shouting, adding to his alarm clock now ringing, finally stirred the beautiful woman awake, her eyes fluttering open to reveal deep, sapphire blue gems of untold brilliance, slowly rising from the bed, one hand raised in the air and the other at her mouth as she gave out a cute, soft yawn. "Oh... morning, Yuichiro-kun." she greeted, smiling as if there wasn't anything wrong at all. "Did you sleep well?"

He wasn't able to respond to that, mainly because he noticed two facts: the first being that he was stark naked, wearing nothing, not even so much as a pair of boxers to hide the fishing hook that dangled between his legs, thus giving Rias a good long look at his well-toned body, which easily fit his small, lean frame. The second fact was what left him speechless, and his face as red as Rias Gremory's hair:

Said woman was naked, revealing her hourglass figure in it's full glory. No bra or panties to hide her bountiful wonders, exposing her large, round, and soft mounds that he had been smothered in earlier, the pink dots in the center freely displayed for all to see, as well as her sacred region, which was revealed completely.

"Gah! I-Idiot! Have some common decency!" Yu shouted as he covered his eyes. He slowly cracked his fingers open for a peek.

"What?" Rias gave him a mischievous smile, giving him a better look of her assets. "You know, you can touch them if you want to."

The reaction was obvious, and should have been expected. Red water flowed from one of his nostrils, rolling down to his upper lip before dripping down to the ground. "W-w-what?! What the hell is wrong with you, you idiot?! Th-there's a time and place for everything! God-OW!"

Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain exploded in his head, causing him to cry out in pain, clutching his temple with his eyes closed shut. The pain lasted for only a few seconds before fading, causing some relief, and confusion. "W-what the hell...?"

"That's normal for Devils." Rias said to him, causing him to look at her in confusion. He desperately kept his eyes on her face. "Just by thinking about God or speaking his name is more than enough for you to get a headache."

"Devil? What?"

"Don't you remember?" the girl asked, leaning her head against her knee, still showing off a gentle smile. "You died, and I brought you back... as my servant, of course."

Yu scoffed. "I died? What dope did you-"

Then, everything came rushing back to him.

That girl...Yuuma Amano...She was the one who confronted him. She was the one who had stabbed him with the Spear of light. His hand unconsciously moved to his torso, where he could feel the burn stabbing into his body.

Strangely, there was no hole in his stomach. There wasn't even so much as a burn mark, or stitching, or anything of the sort. "How..."

"As I said," Rias stated once more. "I brought you back to life, as my servant."

Yu stared at the woman, green eyes narrowing dangerously at her. He wasn't sure how she got in his room, and while she didn't seem to display any sort of negative emotions or killing intent, he still didn't trust her, especially not when she kept saying she brought him back to life as her servant.

"...Who the hell are you?"

Rias smiled as he lowered herself, her legs now hanging off the edge of the bed, and a strange gleam in her eyes. "I am Rias Gremory." she introduced herself. Then, something unbelievable happened. From her back, a pair of jet black pinions, resembling the wings of a bat, emerged from behind her, spreading out in their full glory. "I am a Devil, and your new master. It's a pleasure to meet you... my adorable Seraph."

Devil? Servant?! Seraph?! What the hell was she talking about?! What did she mean Servant?! He never recalled this happening! What did she do to him?! In rage, Yu stood back up and placed his face close to hers, his expression lethal.

"What the hell do you mean your Servant?! I don't remember signing up for this! And give me straight answers, not that 'beat around the bush' crap!"

"Oh, calm down, I'll explain in due time." Rias told him, her smile not even so much as faltering. "By the way... is this the part where you kiss me?" She giggled mischievously. "I do hope you realize that this would be my first kiss, so you better take responsibility~"

"Dammit, woman!" His face burned. "Take this seriously!"

Then, to his sheer horror, he heard his obnoxious 'brother' yelling from the bottom of the staircase down on the first floor. "Hey, idiot! Are you awake?!"

 _'Oh, crap!'_

Panic began to fill him as he looked around the room wildly in search for any clothes or at least something to help cover up their modesty. Sadly, he saw none, so he went with the next best thing: cover her up with the sheets.

He didn't have enough time to cover himself with his sheets, he tried to climb over the bed and hide on the other side, but he didn't get the chance to when Issei slammed the door open.

"Oi! Yu, it's time to get up! Kaa-san wants you...down...in..." He trailed off once he saw the crimson haired beauty clad only in bedsheets. And above her was a naked Yu, with both of his arms and legs positioned at either side of her, as if he were pinning her down.

Issei's face was frozen, his mouth open like a gaping fish, and his eyes relatively normal. Although, it was clear by the way they suddenly glazed over that he couldn't believe the sight in front of him. Yu wasn't much better, a nervous smile with sweat pouring down his brow. Rias, however, didn't look disturbed in the least she turned to Issei, and smiled back at him in greeting. "Hello, Hyoudou-kun."

"...uh... h-hi, s-senpai..." Issei managed to squeak out. He looked at Yu, his face still crossed with disbelief. "Uh... K-Kaa-san wants you down in five minutes, so... yeah..."

With that, he closed the door. Five seconds later, he was shouting. "KAA-SAN, TOU-SAN! ANIKI'S GONE AND LOST HIS VIRGINITY!"

Naturally, Yu comically face-faulted to the ground while Rias giggled in amusement.

"Ara, such a lively brother you have."

"Shut up! This is your fault you know!"

* * *

"Alright, spill it!" Issei had all but demanded the moment they left the house, Rias next to them. "When the hell did this happen?!"

"It didn't." Yu replied hotly, his bag slung over his shoulder, and his trusty bokken in his hand. "I don't even know how the hell she got in my bedroom!"

"Don't lie, you bastard!" the brunette accused, grabbing his brother by the collar. "I want all the details! What's it like dammit?! How tight was she?! Does she moan loud?!"

WHAM!

In less than ten seconds, the boy was suddenly thrown to the ground, a giant lump on the back of his head. "Tch, friggin' annoying!" Yu snorted, twirling his wooden sword around before turning sharply on his foot, continuing towards school. Before that, he shot a glare at the red-haired woman, who still had the gall to smile. "And you better give me a damn good explanation about what the hell happened."

"All in good time, Yuichiro-kun." she told him simply. They turned and entered the school grounds.

Almost instantly, the gossip had all but erupted.

"Omigosh! Gremory-senpai and Hyakuya senpai are walking together!"

"Huh?! Are they dating?!"

"What?! Rias-senpai and Yu-senpai?!"

"Why would she be with a delinquent like Yu-senpai?!"

"But they look soooo cute together!"

"I know! Yu-senpai looks so cute compared to Rias-senpai!"

"Gah! Die Yu, you bastard!"

The green-eyed teen scowled. "Dammit, don't they have anything better to do other than talk about people behind their backs?" he asked, annoyed with the fact that people liked to talk about nothing else other than what's going on in front of them. "Seriously, it's annoying as hell!"

"You do have to admit, they do have a point, though." Rias said, her mischievous glint still present. He thought for a moment that perhaps it was just apart of her charm as one of the Three Great Ladies of Kuoh. "We do make a good couple~"

"Gah, don't say stuff like that! It creeps me the hell out!"

"Mou, you don't like it?" Rias pouted playfully. Yu couldn't help but stare into his large, emerald-green eyes. He quickly turned his head away in a huff.

"Sh-shut it!"

"Heehee, you're so easy to tease." she told him, earning another scowl as they entered the school building. "Anyway, I have to go take care of something. I'll send someone to come pick you up after class."

"Whatever." he shrugged. "But I expect answers about what the hell happened yesterday."

"And you'll get them." Rias said. "Well, until then... Farewell." she sent a playful wink at him, earning another flush of pink as she walked away, putting an extra swing of the hips into her steps. Yu stared at her swaying rear, finding it to be quite the sight until he realized what he was doing, and shook his head violently.

"What the hell am I doing?!"

"HYAAAAAAAKUUUUUUUYAAAAAA!"

Yu groaned, looking over his shoulder and seeing the three people he really didn't want to see, and brought up his bokken.

Once he heard the sound of foot steps right behind him, he spun around and slammed his wooden sword into the approaching trio and knocked them to the ground.

The sight was comical in and itself. Matsuda rolled on the ground like an armadillo before he smashed straight into a wall, his body pinned to the wall for a good fifteen seconds before falling back to the floor. Motohama slid on his face, smacking right into the staircase railing face-first, smashing his glasses in the process, while Issei's body flipped around in the air before smashing against the second floor railing, mimicking Matsuda before he fell to the floor, flopping right on top of said lolicon.

Yu just stared at the three downed perverts with irritation. "...What the hell do you guys want now?"

"D-Damn you...Hyakuya...!" Motohama growled as he struggled to get up, but his sense of balanced was still not reoriented.

"You...You and Gremory-senpai...!" Matsuda yelled from the bottom of the pile.

"Oh for the love of..." Yu groaned. "Look, I dunno what that baka told you, but NOTHING! HAPPENED!"

"Bullshit!" Issei shouted, somehow finding the strength to stand back up. "You guys were naked, and you were on top of her! I know an H-scene when I see one!"

"And for the last, goddamn time!" Yu screamed in their faces. "WE! DIDN'T! HAVE! SEX! Don't you idiots have anything better to do other than get in other people's business!"

"Screw you, Hyakuya!" Motohama finally regained his balance, adjusting his broken glasses. "It isn't fair that you're hogging Rias-senpai all to yourself!"

"Damn right it ain't!" Matsuda roared in agreements. "As perverts, we can't let this stand!"

"Then why don't you just shut your fucking mouths before I break your fucking jaws?!" Yu was getting more and more pissed with each passing second having to listen to these three idiots.

On the second floor, Rias and Sona were watching the four with mixed reactions. Rias was giggling like a schoolgirl watching drama play out in front of her, while Sona sighed, shaking her head. "I'm not sure which is more pathetic..." she muttered under her breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The fact that Hyakuya-kun is picking a fight with the Perverted Trio, or the fact that this all started because you slept with him naked."

"Well, how else was I supposed to heal his wound?" the red-haired girl asked. Sona, however, stared at the woman with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Oh, please. You and I both know that Healing Touch doesn't require the both of you to be naked."

"Ah, I've been found out." Rias stuck her tongue out playfully. Sona once again sighed.

"Rias...what you did was completely unnecessary. Not to mention you used an inopportune moment for him to induct him into your peerage."

"So? Are you saying it's wrong to save someone from death?" She countered.

"Well for starters, you never even introduced him to the world he is now a part of before going through with this. You didn't even give him a choice in the matter."

"You have a point..." her best friend/rival conceded, nodding her head. "However, it beats the alternative of him being dead. Also, being in my peerage is probably the best thing for him."

"How so?"

"Akeno already told you, didn't she?" Rias turned to her, the trickster and teasing smile gone. "About Yuichiro-kun... about what he is."

Sona was deadly silent, pushing up her glasses when they drooped slightly, a glare reflected in the lens. "...Yes, she informed me."

"Then you understand why it was imperative for me to do so." Rias added. "If someone else got to him...I don't even want to think of the consequences of what could have happened."

"Even still..." Sona persisted. "Hyakuya-kun will not take the fact that he was placed into your household as a servant kindly. He is the sort of person who would rather live his life out in peace and in the way he wishes. Also, do not forget his apparent hatred for vampires."

Rias winced. When she first learned about Yu, she and Sona had done a look into his background. There were absolutely no records of him existing prior to four years ago, an orphan placed into an orphanage that did not exist, and adopted into the Hyoudou family, with the alternative being foster care. Of course, what caught their interest was his apparent claims, despite the fact that the police wrote it off as trauma:

His family was murdered by a vampire.

While normal humans would just write this off as a mere result of psychotic trauma, Rias and Sona found this disturbing. They both know that Vampires preferred not to make contact with anyone outside their own race due to their excessive pride. Just what made Yu's family so special that Vampires would go out of their way to kill them?

Of course, the real problem laid with the fact that one of Rias' members was a vampire, if only by half. Given Yu's apparent mentality towards them, she wasn't sure how he would respond, hence why she was glad that she had sealed him away, hoping he would learn to get a handle on his powers since he apparently didn't do well in crowds or when people were watching him.

Sona sighed heavily, shaking her head and looking back at her friend once more. "I hope you know what your doing, Rias." she said, worry laced in her tone. "I truly do."

She flashed a smile. "Come on, have some faith." she insisted. "Trust me... It'll all work out."

* * *

Class could not have ended sooner. Yu had practically been fidgety and agitated through out the entire lecture, with only Tsubaki Shinra noticing his apparent irritation. Ever since this morning, his mind was littered with questions. Just how the hell did he end up back home butt naked with a girl in his bed? What was with those wings? And what was all this talk about Devils and servants? And why did she call him a Seraph? Last he checked, he wasn't an angel, and he sure as hell knew that God wold just turn him away.

He sighed in frustration, leaning back in his chair with his arms behind his head as he waited for whoever Rias was sending to come in and grab him. As he waited, he noticed that people were looking at him, their voices in hushed whispers. It appeared that talk of what occurred earlier today had reached their ears.

More gossip... just what he needed.

Thankfully, his wait was over when the door opened, and Rias' messenger stepped inside. The girls, Tsubaki included, blushed heavily and sighed dreamily while most of the guys glared at him in envy. Yu didn't really understand why. Yuuto Kiba was just your average kid with a dash of good looks, and a good attitude towards girls. His mess of blonde hair and kind and princely personality made him quite popular amongst the female population... and a natural enemy towards Issei and his friends.

"Yuichiro-san." Kiba greeted him, bowing his head. Yu did the same. "Buchou asked me to come get you. Are you ready?"

For a moment, Yu wondered who he was referring to when he said Buchou, but later realized he was referring to Gremory, and nodded, standing up from his seat and grabbing his bag and bokken. Unfortunately, the girls began to whisper... this time, they didn't seem to care if he heard them.

"Kya! It's Kiba-kun!"

"He-he was said Rias-senpai sent him to get him!"

"Does this mean...BL?!"

"It's a KibaxYu Pairing!"

"No! it;s a YuxKiba pairing!"

"Ooh, So hot...!"

It was taking all of Yu's self control not to destroy everything in his sight right now.

"Are you alright, Yuichiro-san?" Kiba asked, looking over his shoulder once they entered the hallway. "You look... vastly annoyed.

"...You have no idea, Kiba." he answered, choosing to ignore the girls' fantasies. "Anyway, this whole Devil thing... is this legit, or just some elaborate prank?"

Kiba chuckled at the obvious skepticism, a hand at his mouth. "Don't worry, Buchou will explain everything." he told him. Yu raised an eyebrow, but just chose to continue following the blonde. It wasn't long when they reached their destination, which was, more or less, a building that looked to be the perfect fit for a supernatural movie.

"The Old School building...?" Yu questioned him. He had seen this building many times as he snuck out of class, but never really thought anything of it. Was this Rias' hideout or something?

"Buchou is right inside. Please follow me." Kiba opened the door for him.

Yu raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and stepped inside. Like the exterior, the hallway was old and worn, yet he noticed that there were a few other places that looked to be brand new. Perhaps it was undergoing renovations?

When they reached the second floor, Yu immediately noticed the changes. The first floor was definitely proof the building was a relic, but for some strange reason, the second floor looked like it belonged in Kuoh Academy. The floors didn't even have so much as a scratch on them, hell there wasn't even any wood! It was all marble! For a while, he thought he was going crazy, considering the roof of the first floor was made of nothing but wood and plaster. The walls were also made of concrete, in stark contrast to wood and plaster on the first floor.

 _'What the hell...?'_

"And here we are."

Kiba smiled at him. Yu paid little attention as his thoughts were still processing that a supposedly run down building had a design interior!

Hesitant, he stepped inside the room. Once again, he found himself floored.

The design and furniture he saw didn't belong anywhere in a rundown school building, as it should have belonged in some luxurious hotel. The walls were painted with scarlet red, fine furniture scattered around the room to bring comfort with a table in the center of the sofas and chairs, black wood with a cloth draped over it, a flower pot with blue and purple roses sitting inside. He also saw several pieces of artwork, hanging on the walls. Off to the corner he saw-

"Wait, this place has a freaking SHOWER?!"

"...Hello, Senpai." a soft voice greeted. He turned his head to one of the couches and noticed the petite, white haired girl sitting and munching on a pastry.

"Oh, hi Toujo-chan."

Koneko Toujou, the unofficial mascot of Kuoh Academy. A first year student, thus two grades below him. They never really interacted much, other than the one time when she saved him from being caught by Sona, in exchange for some sweets. Yu didn't dislike her, but there was something off about her... though it could have been his imagination. He ruffled her hair, thanking her for keeping away from the four-eyed hellhound, and he could have sworn he heard her purr.

Koneko and Yu nodded to each other, and then he looked at Kiba. "Okay, I can find some BS explanation for an entirely different floor..." he said before pointing at the obvious portion of the room that most certainly didn't belong there. "WHY THE HELL IS THERE A SHOWER?!"

"It's because Buchou wants one where its convenient." Akeno, who was also in the room, answered.

"Where the hell did you come from?!"

The black-haired vixen giggled in her palm. "I've been here the whole time," she said, amused. "You were just too focused on the fact that there's a shower in here."

"Convenient my ass!" he retorted. "At least put it in a damned bathroom!"

"Oh, hush, Yuichiro-kun." Rias' voice scolded him from the shower, her faint shadow visible through the curtains. Blushing, he immediately turned away, taking a seat on the sofa opposing Koneko, while Kiba sat down beside the small girl. "Akeno, can you grab my clothes?"

"Hai, Buchou."

She walked over and grabbed the bundle of clothes from a nearby desk. She brought the, back over to the shower, which Rias had accepted and begun to dress.

Once she stepped out, fully dressed with a towel draped over her crimson hair, she and Akeno took their seats, with the red-head sitting at the head of the table, and Akeno standing beside her. "Sorry about that." she apologized "Because I slept with Yuichiro-kun's house and had breakfast, I didn't have time to take a shower."

"You know, you still haven't explained why the hell you were in my bed naked in the first place." Yu pointed out, still angry about that. "And what the hell did you do to those two?! There's no way they'd buy that damned bullshit excuse you gave them about two kids sleeping together in the nude helps improve grades!"

Rias merely smiled. "A simple hypnosis spell, nothing more. They won't even remember me ever being there, nor the apparent fact of what your brother blurted out."

"Thank God for-OW!" Yuichiro yelped, grabbing his head. "Dammit! What the fuck?!"

"I did tell you that just mentioning His name is enough to warrant a headache, didn't i?"

He glared at her. "You still haven't explained this whole damn thing to me!"

"Ah, right." She nodded, and leaned back. "Very well, then. Allow me to welcome you, Yuichiro Hyakuya, to the Occult Research Club... as a Devil."

On cue, the wings he saw before appeared behind her back... as well as everyone else in the room.

His face froze in shock for a brief second, trying to take in what was happening. When he finally calmed down, he resumed to glare at her.

"...What the hell did you do to me?!"

"Like I told you before, I simply resurrected you as a servant of my household." Rias told him, not even bothered by the glare. "From that day forth, you died as a human, and were reincarnated as a Devil."

"Why?!"

"Would you have preferred I left you to die there?"

Yu bit back a growl. She had him there, he did want to continue living, in order to honor his family's memory, to live his life at the fullest... yet he wanted to do it as a human being, and how he wanted it. Now, he hears he just died and came back, no longer human.

"...First of all, why did that Amano chick kill me in the first place?" he asked, saving other questions for later. "Moreover, what the hell was she? And what do you mean by Devil?"

"The girl you know as Yuuma Amano... was a Fallen Angel."

"Fallen Angel? Isn't that technically the same thing?" Yu had always thought that if an Angel fell from grace, they would become a Devil, Fallen Angel just being another term for it.

"No, not quite." Rias shook her head. "A Devil is a being born of darkness, and a resident of the Underworld. We represent the darkest and purest desires of humans. Fallens, however, are Angels who fell because they gave in to their own desires, chose to stray from God's whims, or willingly fell from grace."

That was when she told him everything. That several millennia ago, a great war was waged between the Fallen Angels, the Devils, and the Angels. It was a long and brutal affair, with several other supernatural beings such as youkai, fairies, ghosts, legends, myths, lores... even goddamn vampires. Every legend, every story, every supernatural being existed, and were forced to take a side, humans were no exception.

"In the end, however, a stalemate was made." she explained. "No side came out unscathed. The Devils, which were comprised of 72 clans, known as pillars, and even our leaders, the Four Maous, were lost. Of course, the other factions suffered heavy casualties as well."

Yu processed the information carefully. His hands balled into fists, and a dark look crossed his face. "...So, vampires exist in this world too, huh?" he muttered to himself, a small smirk forming. "Guess I can keep my promise after all."

"Do you understand now, Yuichiro-kun?" Rias snapped him from his thoughts. "Do I need to go over anything else?"

"...No." he shook hi shead. "So back to my first question. Why the hell did that crow kill me?"

"She and her cohorts saw you as a threat that needed to be eliminated."

"Why the hell for?! What part of me would be considered a threat to them?! I was just a plain human!" He retorted.

"You may think that you were a normal being...but the power within you is abnormal to the point of chaotic and destructive." Rias replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Yuichiro-kun, have you ever heard the term 'Seraph of the End?'"

"Seraph... of the End?" Yu frowned. "No, what the hell is-"

 ** _'So Krul went and disobeyed her orders to kill the Seraphs of the End... Well, I can't say I blame her~'_**

A sharp pain stabbed into his head, as if triggered by the term. Yu grabbed both sides of his head in agony as his legs buckled beneath him.

"Gr-grah!"

The pain lasted for only a few seconds before it receded, leaving him panting heavily, sweat dripping from his face. Everyone looked at him in worry, obviously not expecting such a reaction. "Are you alright, Yuichiro-kun?" Rias asked in concern.

"Y...yeah..." Yu nodded, looking up. "S-so, this Seraph thing... Is it really that dangerous?"

Rias's eyes darkened slightly, her voice solemn. "...Dangerous would be an understatement. There is a reason why it was called 'The End' for a reason."

"Wh-what was the reason...?"

"...You don't want to know."

Yu took the disturbing silence as his answer. Was whatever this Seraph thing so dangerous that it made him a threat to Fallen Angels? "..Okay then..." he leaned back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest. "So, this Devil thing..."

"Ah, yes." Rias went back on track. "When i said I made you my servant earlier, it was the truth. The only way I could revive you was inducting you in my peerage, reincarnating you as a Devil."

"Peerage? What's that?"

Kiba took over the reigns, holding a hand for emphasis. "A peerage is the name of the group that serves their master. At maximum, the most a Devil can have is 14 to 15."

"Wha-that many?!"

"Yep, and only High-Class Devils like Buchou are allowed to have a peerage. All of us here are Low-Class Devils."

"Wait a class system? Are you talking about nobility or something?" Yu raised an eyebrow.

"Something like that." Akeno nodded. "Reincarnated Devils like us start out as Low-Class Devils. Sadly, we're considered to be bottom feeders until proven otherwise. Buchou, however, has always been a High-Class Devil, since her family, the Gremory Clan, are among the 72 Pillars, thus being nobility."

"Er... okay..."

He... really didn't get it. The most he got out of that explanation is that apparently 'reincarnated Devils' are at the bottom of the totem pole, and that apparently Rias' family are a bunch of blue bloods.

"So, what's the highest class for Devils?"

"Ultimate-Class, which is reserved specifically for the leaders of the Devils, the Maous." Rias continued. "They are Asmodeaus, Leviathan, and Beelzebub, with Lucifer acting as the Great Devil King."

"In other words, the four leaders are the big badasses." he shortened the explanation, his hands behind his head. "Figures."

"Fufu..." Akeno giggled.

"What's so funny?" Yu looked at her.

"Your reactions to all of this are just so amusing, Yuichiro-kun."

"Bite me!"

He knew he should have said something else, as the looks he received were all sudden worry and sympathy. Akeno giggled again, a dangerous look present in her eyes. Yu suddenly felt himself press up against the sofa. Those were the eyes of a predator. "And where would you like me to nip you?"

"It-it wasn't an offer!"

"Mou, it's not nice to tease your onee-sama~"

"Last I checked, you're not my sister!" Yu snapped at her. "So, do Devils use black magic like they do in those anime or manga or whatever?"

"For the most part, yes." Rias nodded. "But, that isn't all." She turned to Kiba. "Yuuto-kun, if you would."

The blonde nodded, standing up and placed his arm forward, his palm open. In the next moment, Yu shot out of his seat, eyes wide in disbelief. "W-what the?!"

In Kiba's hand... was a sword wreathed in darkness.

"Wh...What the hell is this?!" Yu moved to get a closer look at the sword. "Did you just make this thing out of thin air?!"

"In short, yes. But this is not all I'm capable of." Another sword appeared in his hand, this one now wrapped in a frigid blue aura.

Yu was completely stunned. He blinked rapidly, rubbing his eyes and pinching himself to make sure that it wasn't a dream. "...Okay, please tell me that all Devils can do this." he said, standing in complete awe of the ability Kiba was showing off. "Seriously, please."

"Unfortunately, Hyakuya-san..." Kiba chuckled. "This is something only I can do. After all, making Demonic Swords is the power of my Sacred Gear."

"Sacred what-now?"

"A Sacred Gear." Rias explained. "They are tools of power that certain humans are born with. There are many types. There are some who enhance a user's strength, some that allow them to control fire, and some that can create, like Yuuto's Sword Birth."

"Really? But aren't they basically weapons? And who made these things anyway?"

"The ultimate enemy of Devils: the God of the Bible himself." the red-haired woman stated. "Sacred Gears are also known as God's Artifacts. They're typically given to those with great potential. Recall any political or historical figures that made an impact on society? More often than not, those types of individuals possess a Sacred Gear. There are also special Sacred Gears known as the Longinus, which possess the power to slay even the Gods, the Almighty Lord of Heaven himself included. An example of a Longinus Sacred Gear would be Boosted Gear, which is said to double the user's power every ten seconds."

"Really?!" Yu's eyes were wide in surprise. Was it possible...? A weapon capable of slaying Gods?! He had to know more. "...Out of curiosity...how many of these Longinus Gears are there?"

"There are thirteen. All of them are broken up to Low-Tier, Mid-Tier, and High-Tier Longinus Gears."

"And what would you say is the strongest?" he asked eagerly.

"Hm, that would probably the True Longinus, the first of such Sacred Gears named after it. Ironically, it's the same spear that killed Jesus Christ. It's said that even the a shallow stab is enough to kill a higher being such as a Seraphim, or even a demon below that of the Maous." She smiled. "Oh, and before you ask... You don't have a Sacred Gear."

Yu felt his vision of power shatter. He had been hoping he possessed one of the Longinus, more specifically, True Longinus. But now his hopes had been dashed. "...Dammit!"

"It isn't that bad, Hyakuya-san." Kiba tried to cheer him up. "It is possible for you to obtain a Sacred Gear... Although, that requires you to kill it's wielder."

Yu's eyes widened, feeling hope resurface for a moment, but it was soon replaced with frustration. From the way these Sacred Gears sounded, they were powerful, maybe strong enough for him to wipe out the vampires! But, if he wanted to obtain one, he would have to kill someone... To make matters worse, it would be a human being. That was the one thing he didn't want to do. Killing a vampire was okay, but he would never kill a fellow human.

Of course, he could try and kill Kiba to take his 'Sword Birth'... but chances were he'd get killed by Rias and the others in retaliation, so that plan was immediately scrapped.

"Oh, quit looking as if it's the end of the world, Yuichiro-kun." Rias told him. "You might not have a Sacred Gear, but at the very least, you can rely on the power you have now. Of course, that being said, you'll need to learn how to use it. We can discuss the details tomorrow."

"...Fine." he sighed in resignation before looking at Rias. "So, are you guys the only Devils here at this dump, or are there any others I should know about?"

"Funny you should ask that." Rias smiled wickedly. "Sona happens to be a Devil as well."

Yu didn't show any sort of reaction, but his body was still. One second, two, then three.

Then, he finally opened his mouth. "YOU GOTTA BE SHITTIN' ME!" he yelled in disbelief, eyes wide. "FOUR-EYES IS A DEVIL?!"

"Indeed she is, along with her fellow members Shinra and Genshiro."

"SERIOUSLY?!" Yu cried out again. He was now tearing his hair in frustration. "DAMMIT! THAT'S FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC! WHAT ELSE CAN GO WRONG?!"

Rias giggled at his reaction. He seems to be handling the news well.

Before she could continue their discussion, the bell rung. "Ah, it appears we'll have to continue this conversation another time." she said. "Well, Yuichiro-kun, until next we meet."

Yu, snapping out of his apparent frustration that the woman who had been chasing him down for two years was a Devil, nodded, and grabbed his bag and bokken, walking out the door. Kiba and Koneko soon followed, heading to their respective classes. Once it was just Rias and Akeno, both of which were excused for the rest of the day, the former looked at her friend. "You enchanted his wooden sword while we were talking, right?"

"Hai, hai." Akeno nodded. "That should protect him... at least, until he receives something stronger. Still, I can't believe he had no idea that he was one of the feared Seraphs of the End." For once, the girl looked confused. "Just what sort of life did that boy have?"

"That's been on Sona's mind as well." the red-haired Devil said. "She's been digging up everything she can about him, but the only thing she found on him was his claims that his family was murdered by a vampire. The police shrugged it off as mere trauma, but I'm inclined to agree otherwise."

"That's it?" the girl asked, incredulous. "Surely, that can't be everything about him."

"Who knows, Akeno. However, I've learned from Sona that there were no records of his life or identity before Issei-kun's parents found him. Everything about his past is shrouded in mystery." Rias replied.

"So, up until four years ago..." Akeno said slowly. "...Yuichiro-kun didn't exist?"

"That appears to be the case." Rias nodded, equally confused. "...There are many possibilities as to why he lacked records and identification, but all in all, it just seems strange."

"Strange in what way?"

"It's like he just..." she wasn't sure how to put it into words, her mind trying to think of the way to explain. "...showed up out of nowhere."

"Or that he was raised away from the world?"

"No, that wouldn't be possible. Considering what he is, even if Sona hadn't done that much research, her sister definitely would have. It isn't everyday that something like the Seraph of the End shows up, and out of the blue."

"And what of his claims that his family was murdered by a vampire?" Akeno asked curiously. "Do you believe that's legit as well?"

Rias couldn't help but snort at that. "Akeno, did you see his expression when I mentioned vampires?" she turned to her friend. "He knows vampires exist... and he hates them with very fiber of his being. He has the exact same look Kiba had when I first reincarnated him."

"...I see..." Akeno nodded, her question answered. She was well aware of the scathing hatred within Yuuto's heart, but to think her classmate possessed just as much, if not greater, malice toward the prideful species.

Rias sighed. "I hope one day he'll forgo that hatred, but that's wishful thinking at best." she said to herself. "For now, the best we can do is watch over him."

"I suppose so. Now that he's become a Devil, the Fallens will chase after him with greater zeal."

At this, Rias developed a confident, yet malicious smirk. "And when they do, they'll know just how much trouble they'll be in when they face the might of the house of Gremory."

* * *

"Okay, seriously, what the hell..." Yu muttered under his breath as he walked through the park, the sky already dark. "Four-Eyes and her pets didn't try to hunt me down? Hell must have frozen over."

Despite the joke, he was enjoying the day... mostly. He was still pissed about being killed by some damned angel who got her ass thrown out of heaven, and getting turned into a Devil without his consent, but for the most part, the day's been pretty much peaceful. He spent some time at the arcade, trying to get his mind off of certain thoughts, one of which being Issei and his idiot friends. Three times... three times he had to whack them with his bokken! They just wouldn't shut up about their precious Rias! Honestly, all because she has a giant rack and a fine ass-Gah, dammit! He was thinking about it again!

"That horndog better not be rubbing off on me."

He grumbled in annoyance as he strolled through the vacant streets. It was getting late, and he was on his way home. Today had been rather eventful. At least he learned what had happened to him. But still...that knowledge didn't help with his situation a single bit. Those Fallen bastards were still out there. He needed power. But the only thing that seemed he could only access was this Seraph of the End, whatever the hell that was.

"...Dammit! This is such a headache."

He stopped for a moment to try and clear his head, staring at the fountain's water. He was staring back at how he used to be, a child that couldn't defend himself, a boy that couldn't protect his family, a boy that was left cold, bitter, and hateful.

He didn't want to be that way ever again. He needed to get stronger. If only he had one of those damned Sacred Gears...!

"Oh, what's this?" Yu's eyes widened when his body was overcome with a feeling of dread, and malicious intent. The air had become cold, the atmosphere thick and heavy, suffocating almost. "A disgusting Devil who's lost his way... Just my luck."

Yu whipped around, searching for the source of the voice. Then he tilted his head upward. In the sky was a middle aged man with a brown trench coat and black fedora. From his back were two ebony feathered wings fully extended. He recognized those sort of wings immediately: The Wings of a Fallen Angel.

Almost instinctively, Yu grasped his wooden sword and raised it in front of himself.

The Fallen looked amused by the action, descending to the ground and landing sharply on his feet, a hand on his hat while the other remained open, ready to forge one of the spears that had brought Yu's life to an end before. "You think a mere splinter will help you, welp?" the Fallen sneered. "You must be daft if you think it will help you."

"Shut it, old man!" Yu snarled. "I got a bone to pick with you crows! Because of you bastards, I ended up getting turned into a Devil!"

"And this concerns me... how?" the man asked, a smirk appearing the moment he saw fury light up in Yu's eyes. "You should blame yourself for getting killed. Still, if you died by our hand, then..." Realization lit up on his face. "Ah, now I understand. You're the Seraph of the End Raynare killed the other day."

"Seraph of the End...I keep hearing that damn term, and no one even explains to me what the fuck it is! It's rather annoying. But seeing your ugly mug makes it twice as annoying!"

"Well, don't you have a mouth." the Fallen sneered. "Still, if Raynare failed to kill you, then I guess I had better clean up her mess." The man extended his arm. In the base of his palm, a ball of light emerged, spreading outward until it formed into a double-sided spear, but unlike Yuuma's, it seemed relatively weaker. "Since you're by yourself, I'll just assume your a Stray Devil, which means if I kill you, no one will give a damn. Not that it would matter anyway, you're too much of a threat to be allowed to LIVE!"

Yu felt his senses screaming at him. In a moment, he took his wooden sword in both hands, bringing it up just in time to face the strike of a spear. The cloth was blown away, revealing the bokken's form. The man's eyes widened. "What?!" he snarled. Yu, on the other hand, was startled. Since when did his sword have graffiti written on it? "You bastard... You enchanted it. Not bad, but it won't be enough!" The man jumped back, and charged again, the arm wielding the spear of light reared back as if about to impale him.

Yu leaped back, farther than what he thought possible, evading the stab, and charged straight forward, bringing his bokken in for a strike of his own. Like what he did before, the Fallen brought up his spear, leaving the two stuck together before they separated. They glared at each other, and then moved back in for another strike.

Wood and light clashed as the two crossed blades. No matter how many times the Fallen struck the wooden sword, it just would not break. However, neither one seemed to show any signs of stopping as they continued to attack one another. When they broke off, Yu jumped in for a horizontal swing, trying to smash the Fallen's knee. However, the crow noticed this and backed away, using his wings as a boost.

"Get back here!" Yu shouted, giving chase. The Fallen, however, had taken to the skies, a taunting smirk plastered across his pale mug. "What?! You chicken?! Come down here and fight me like a man!"

The Fallen's response was to toss his spear at him. Yu leaped to the side, avoiding being skewered before watching the crow create another lance of light in his hand. Okay, now that was seriously unfair. How come he didn't have any wings?! ...Oh, wait, he did. He remembered how Rias and the others unfurled bat-like wings from their backs. But... how the hell was he supposed to make 'em show up?!

"What's the matter, boy?" the Fallen taunted. "Can't fly yet?"

"Screw you!"

"Hahaha! You pitiful devil! You make this all too easy!" he hurled another spear, but Yu smacked it away with his sword.

 _'Dammit, how the hell do I reach him?!'_ he thought angrily, being forced to the annoying game of hit and run. _'If only I had a pair of wings! Is that too much to ask! What the hell do you have to do to get 'em?! Just imagine them popping out of your back?!'_

Then, to his shock and astonishment, he felt something pop out from his back, directly between his shoulder blades. It wasn't painful or agitating, but rather a pleasant experience. The Fallen's eyes widened in shock at what he saw. Yu, however, frowned as he looked over his shoulder, and promptly gaped.

He now had a pair of bat-like wings.

"You gotta be kidding!" he cried in disbelief. "That actually worked?!"

So it was all about imagination?! Why the hell couldn't Rias and the others tell him that earlier?! It for sure would save his ass!

"Dammit!" the crow threw another spear, but Yu ascended and avoided it.

"Payback time, ya shitty crow!" Yu grinned as he avoided spear after spear, quickly moving the wings as if they were already apart of him. Let it be known that combat experience made you learn quicker than any training ever could. Yu was the prime example, using the wings as if they were second nature. He ducked beneath an incoming spear before bringing his bokken up, charging straight forward. "This is gonna hurt like a bitch!"

"Filthy Devil!" the Fallen snarled, clashing with him.

The ebony feathered being swung his glowing spear horizontally to decapitated him, however, Yu brought his wooden blade up to parry it aside. This action left the Fallen's guard wide open. With a quick swing, Yu brought down the edge of his sword right on top of his opponent's collarbone.

A resounding crack was heard throughout the area.

"Gaaaah!" The Fallen howled in pain, quickly moving away before Yu could land another sharp blow. "Y-you filthy Devil!"

"That's strike one, old man!" the boy smirked back, swinging his wooden sword like a bat and hitting a homer. "Now, answer me! Where's that damned crow that decided to off me?!"

The man snarled, clutching the space between his shoulder and neck. "I'll never submit... not to some filthy piece of trash!"

"Well, this 'trash' is gonna beat the shit out of you!"

"Insolent cur!" With his one usable arm, the Fallen forged another spear of blue light. His face was set in a vicious sneer.

Yu instantly dashed to the ground, avoiding the spear and aiming the tip of his bokken. A cocky grin was plastered over his face.

The message was clear.

 _'Bring it.'_

With a roar, the man dove down, another spear in hand, with the complete intent of skewering the Devil boy.

Yu soared upward with his bokken at ready.

It was time to settle this.

It happened in a split second. The two passed each other, with the Fallen smashing straight into the ground, feet first and crouching, and Yu stopping in the air, whirling around.

It was a minute of silence, the two unmoving until the Fallen stood up. "...Not bad..." he turned, blood dribbling down his chin. "Had you aimed a bit higher, that strike would have killed me."

"..." Yu said nothing. Suddenly a wide gash appeared on his side. Blood spurted out from the wound as he quickly became imbalanced and fell to the earth.

He fell to the ground, landing on his back and tumbling on the concrete, finally stopping and laying flat on his stomach, his bokken tossed aside and next to the fountain. "S-son of a bitch...!" he growled, glaring at the injured crow. "If I just had a fucking Sacred Gear...!"

"I suppose I should count myself lucky that you don't seem to have fully awakened yet." the man said, earning a glare of confusion. "It isn't anything to worry about... since you're going to die right here."

"...And just who are you going to kill, Fallen Angel?"

The man's eyes widened, leaping back just in time before a giant blast of dark crimson power tore the ground apart, leaving only smoking ash and a giant hole where the Fallen once stood. Yu's eyes widened at the sight, following the source until he found the one who caused it, accompanied by three familiar figures.

"G-Gremory...?"

Rias smiled sadly at his weakened form. "...I'm sorry I didn't get here faster, Yuichiro-kun." she apologized. Then, the smile vanished, replaced with a dark look of anger at the Fallen. "You have a lot of nerve attacking MY servant, and in MY territory."

"That attack just now..." the Fallen muttered, looking at the woman with a critical gaze. "And that red hair... Oh, I get it now. You're a member of the Gremory Clan."

"Rias Gremory, at your service."

"I see. A pleasure." The man bowed lightly, mockingly. "...As for attacking this Devil here, I had no idea that he had a master, and merely thought of him as nothing more than a Stray. You really must learn to keep your servants on a tighter leash. There is a chance that someone would assume like what I had."

"Oh, please..." Rias flipped her hair, her glare intense. "Even if he wasn't a Stray, you would have tried to kill him regardless of who his master is."

The Fallen laughed. "Unlike my associates, even I'm not stupid enough to try and pick a fight with the Gremory Clan, especially considering who the Great Devil King is." He tipped his hat. "I am Dohnaseek of the Grigori. You had best prey that we don't meet again," he gave a demonic grin to Yu, who merely glared back at him in seething hatred. "Seraph of the End."

With that, he flapped his wings, disappearing in a gust of wind. Yu had finally succumbed to the wounds, his eyes rolling to the back of his head, and closed his eyes, his frame becoming limp. Akeno walked over to him, gently picking up him and resting his head against her shoulder. "We're lucky that we got here quickly." she said, observing his body. "Had we not gotten here sooner, that Fallen would have killed him."

"Indeed. However, it's rather impressive that he was able to fend for himself and last this long." Rias noted. Usually, most newly reincarnated Devils would not last as long as he had.

"I do think we have this to thank for that." Kiba said, walking up to the group, holding Yu's bokken. "It looks like we should be rather glad that Kaichou wasn't able to get her hands on this. You made the right choice to enchant it."

"Well, since Yuichiro-kun is the star member of the kendo club, I thought enchanting his bokken would be feasible." she explained. "I'm glad to see I was right."

"Well, since all the excitement is over, we should probably get going. We need to treat Yuichiro-kun's wounds." Akeno pointed out.

Koneko, who had been silent for a good long while, turned to Rias. "...You're gonna sleep with him again, aren't you?"

The woman merely gave a sly grin. "What can I say? Despite being so thin, he's built~"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Buchou, but..." Kiba chuckled. "Some days, you're just as bad as Akeno."

* * *

"Ugh..." Yu groaned, his face smothered in his silk-clothed pillow. "My side's killing me..."

A sharp, agonizing pain throbbed near his kidney. When he pressed a hand against his wound, all he felt was bandages covering it. Fortunately, the bleeding stopped. But it was still pretty painful.

His head was throbbing in pain, and the rest of him wasn't any better. He wanted nothing more than to lay in bed, staying in the soft comfort of this wonderful cot, resting next to what could only be described as a beautiful goddess...

...

...

...Wait, what?

Slowly, he turned his head, green eyes opening to see Rias' sleeping form nestled up against him, his arm trapped in her own slender arms, and smooshed in what many a pervert has proclaimed to be the 'valley of the gods'.

Several, long, agonizing seconds passed before he checked himself. Once again, he found himself naked, clad in only bandages. Once again, Rias Gremory, the woman who turned him into a Devil, was naked, and sleeping next to him.

Naturally, there was only one thing to say in this situation:

"...AGAIN?!"

* * *

"Ara, what's the rush, Yuichiro-kun?"

Yu ignored Rias' question as he continued to speed walk away from her. His face beset in a scowl, being still sore about what happened earlier.

He was lucky that he had woken up much earlier than he would have liked, slipping on his uniform and walking out the door, and thankfully, his adoptive parents and brother were still asleep. As a result, he arrived at school much earlier than he would have liked, but it was the best way to keep him away from any unsavory interactions at the house.

Last thing he needed was for Issei to babble on and on again and asking questions to things that never happened. Oh well. At least he had his trust bokken to knock the idiot around with, in case he got too annoying.

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad, was it?" Rias teased him, keeping pace yet remaining behind him. "I thought you would have liked to have a girl naked in your bed."

"Shut it, witch!"

"Technically, I'm a Devil, but I can be a witch when I want to be." she giggled. "Still, joking aside... How are your injuries?"

Yu pressed a hand to his side. "It still hurts like hell, but it's a lot more tolerable than yesterday." he replied honestly. Whatever she did to fix him up, it worked. The sharp pain he felt much earlier was now a dull ache.

"That's good." Rias said in relief. "I'm glad you're alright. Still, you should feel proud of yourself, Yuichiro-kun." she told him, now next to him with a smile. "You were able to hold your own against a Fallen, and for a long while, I might add. That's a feat, in and in itself."

"Maybe," he scoffed. "But I still got my ass handed to me. If only I had one of those Sacred Gears, I would have torn that bastard's wings off."

Rias smile slowly fell. "...Yuichiro-kun...While that may be the case, you shouldn't keep telling yourself that. You are perfectly fine without a Sacred Gear."

"Being 'perfectly fine' is not the point!" He snapped at her. "...I need to be stronger! I need power! Enough power so that I'll never lose to a shitty vampire or fallen angel ever again!"

Rias winced, but kept a calm look. "Yuichiro-kun... why do you seem to hate vampires so much?" she asked. She knew that the hatred must have stemmed from the fact that it was a vampire who murdered his family, but it seemed to delve further than that.

Yu's face darkened, grinding his teeth.

"...It's because those bastards...killed so many of us, lied to us, used us as livestock, and took away our lives and futures!" He growled. Each memory returning to him only kindled his anger. "...I'll never forgive them...I'll slaughter all those fucking blood-suckers myself if I have to!"

The moment those hateful words spilled from his mouth, Rias froze. The seething anger that had been kept in place for so long had been released, the full extent of his anger revealed completely to her. "We were just kids..." Yu's hands balled into fists, trembling madly like a leaf. "We were just barely under 13 years old... And yet, those fuckers...!" His mouth was set into a deep, dark scowl. "They killed them! Mika, Akane, the little ones... That son of a bitch...!"

He could still remember it. He never wanted to forget it. Those images... he wanted them to be burned into his head, to remember the cruel world he once lived in before he found himself in the embrace of the Hyoudou Family.

"I'll kill 'em all...!" he swore vehemetly. "Every last godddamn fang I see... I'll kill them!"

His hands were clenched so tightly that his fingernails threatened to puncture his skin and draw blood. But he didn't care. He was so immersed in his fury that he didn't even feel the pain anymore. His head was clouded with thoughts of vengeance and ambition for power.

He would avenge them one day... He swore he would. He didn't care who got in his way, he would crush them. He wanted power... power strong enough that he could kill any vampire that found it's way to him.

He would kill them all.

* * *

After school had reached it's end, Yu remained at his desk, staring out the window. He hadn't heard the bell rang, immersed in his own thoughts of what happened earlier today. Rias had brought him to the clubhouse, and explained everything in further detail. Because so many Devils were killed and lost, they had to resort to turning other races into Reincarnated Devils, hence where the Evil Piece system came into being, developed by one of the Maous, Ajuka Beelzebub. Personally, he didn't give a crap about this Devil shtick, or the war.

He sighed a moment later, grabbing his stuff. "Might as well hit the arcade..." he muttered. He was about to grab his bokken when he noticed two girls walking up to him. "Oh, it's you guys."

They were members of the Kendo Club alongside Yu, but they were a bit more than that. They had been the ones to introduce him to it in the first place. The girl on the left possessed short, pink hair while the girl on the right bore brown hair.

They're names were Katase and Murayama.

"Hello Yuichiro-senpai..." Katase bowed.

"Are you doing alright?" Murayama asked.

"...Yeah, I'm fine...why do you ask?"

"Well...it's just...you haven't been attending practice as often lately."

"Been busy." he replied, taking the bokken over his shoulder. "And dealing with a certain horndog. Seriously, you guys should just strip him of his clothes and hang him in front of the school for all to see! It might get rid of his perversion!"

Murayama huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "We tried to, but his friends always show up and drag him away before we have a chance!"

Yu sighed. Despite the flaws of Motohama and Matsuda, they still stuck by Issei as compatriots of the Perverted Trio. "...Maybe next time, surround them and do it to all three of them."

"That requires us to catch them," Katase pointed out to him. "And they run like bats out of hell."

"Why am I not surprised?" he sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know what? Next time you catch them peeping, let me know. I'll give 'em a good beating."

"Thank you, Yuishiro-senpai!" Both girls smiled in gratitude. They truly appreciated Yu doing this for them.

"Oh yeah, by the way!" Katase remembered what they came here for. It had been the talk of the entire school since two days ago. "Is it true?!"

"What's true?"

"That you and Rias-senpai are dating?!"

"W-WHAT?!" Yu's face exploded in a deep shade of red, almost equal to said girl's own famous red hair. "W-WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM?!"

The girls stepped back in surprise from the sudden increase in volume. "W-well...it was what many students thought since you two were walking to school together!"

"S-so...is it true?"

"H-hell no!" he snapped at them, his cheeks still flushed pink. "Dammit, this is why I hate it when people gossip!"

"T-then, is it true you like Yuuto-senpai?!" the girls asked him in unison, their faces red, and stars twinkling in their eyes. It was common knowledge that pretty much all the girls in the Kendo Club were avid fans of Shounen Ai, and had even formed an unofficial club dedicated to it. If one is to ask, the (unofficial) club advisors were none other than Murayama and Katase.

Yu just stared at the two, his face completely blank. There was a long, brief period of painful silence. If one listened closely, they could have sworn they would hear crickets.

"...I'm going to kill those bastards." Yu growled, already knowing full well who spread those rumors around.

"So...it's not true then?" The girls questioned, their hopes failing slightly.

"OF COURSE IT'S NOT! I'M STRAIGHT DAMMIT!" he cried out. He had already taken his bokken to search out and kill whoever started those goddamn rumors!

However, before he could, he heard the two girls sigh in relief. It almost looked as if they had just been relieved of something that they had been fearing. "...What's up with you two?"

"N-nothing!" Katase snapped out of her stupor, her face slightly red and waving her arms around. "N-nothing's wrong at all!"

"Y-yeah!" Murayama quickly nodded in agreement. "W-we're just relieve that you're not seeing anyone!"

Yu raised an eyebrow, but shrugged, and scowled. _**"ISSSSSEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIII!"**_

With a battle cry, he charged off, storming out of the room. Shortly afterwards, the sounds of men screaming could be heard, screams and the thunderous footsteps of men trying to escape from the terrifying visage of death.

"...You know, I don't know whether to feel disappointed that he's not into boys..." Murayama pouted, staring at the door where he left. "...Or relieved."

"Yeah." Katase nodded in aggreement before glaring at her friend. "Also, what the hell were you thinking?! 'We're just relieved that your not seeing anyone'?! That's practically saying you want to date him!"

"B-but it's the truth!" the brunette argued.

"Even still, you didn't have to word it like that!" The pink haired girl added. "We're just lucky he didn't get the hint."

"I know..." her friend nodded vigorously. "St-still, what if Yuichiro-senpai really is going out with Rias-senpai?!"

"D-don't panic! E-even if our competition is one of the Three Great Ladies, we can't afford to lose!"

"H-hai!"

* * *

"Achoo!" Yu nearly felt himself being throttled forward, sneezing violently. He wiped the snot from his nose with his sleeve, looking at the three beaten, lumpy shapes in front of him. "I wonder if someone's talking about me...?" he wondered aloud before shrugging, turning on his foot and giving the three a harsh glare. "The next time you bastards spread rumors like you... I'm letting the kendo girls have at you!"

"Guh...gah..." None of them could form comprehensible answers due to the amount of pain they were experiencing. That and the fact that Yu had struck each of them in the throats with his bokken.

Needless to say, the girls in the kendo club were squealing with joy that Yu had beaten the shit out of the Perverted Trio, even if Sona reprimanded him for it before chasing after him once again. Although, it wouldn't be long before they would be up to their shenanigans before long.

But now they knew better than to start rumors about Yu.

* * *

The plaza was as peaceful as the last time he came here whenever he was looking for some peace and quiet, or when he was seeking refuge from Sona's damned chasing. Yu yawned loudly, stretching his arms up while his bag hung on his shoulder, his bokken held inside and sticking out from the folds. "When is that she-devil gonna stop chasing after me?" he muttered under his breath. "She's been at this ever since I showed up and flat-out told her in her face to go stuff it." A groan escaped his mouth. "Mika was right. I need to learn to shut my mouth."

As he said this, a wave of nostalgia over took him. Just how long had it been since he heard those words from his best friend's mouth? How long has it been since they were all together, sharing happy times as a family?

He truly did wish that they were here... hell, he could just imagine the sort of life they all would have had if they lived. That scene always played out, like a dream that he wished he would never wake up from.

A dream where the vampire hadn't shown up, and they escaped. A dream where they all came with him to this new world. A dream where they were all still a family. A dream where they lived in peace. None of this Devil stuff, and no vampires... just a peaceful life. He could see his friends now: Mikaela a member of the Student Council, trying to convince Yu to hand over the bokken, more worried about his friend's safety from being beaten by Sona than anything else, Akane a member of the Swim Team, popular with everyone and always wearing her heart on her sleeve, the little ones in school, playing as children should at their age.

But, he would always wake up from those dreams.

"Mika..." he whispered, staring up at the blue sky. Because of this, he failed to notice the presence of another. By the time he looked back forward, it was already too late. They were on a collision course.

"OOF!"

"AAH!"

Yu and the colliding person fell down. The black haired boy quickly reoriented himself and focused on the person. "Hey, watch where you're..." His scolding words died in his throat as a gust of wind blew the veil from the person's head, revealing to be a young girl, around his age, with long, golden hair and radiant green eyes.

The girl groaned, holding her head slightly. "Owwie..." she moaned before she looked up, staring at Yu in the face. "O-oh no! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to bump into you! A-are you alright?!"

Though Yu did not understand it at the time, the girl in front of him would become one of his most precious people, awakening a memory that he had long sinced forgotten... and with it, the cruel reality he thought he had left behind.


	3. The Holy Maiden I

A/N: Co-written with Code-Emperor07, the author of several incredible stories, each in their own right! Among his projects are **_Resurrected Trials_** , _**Crimson Dragon**_ , _**Fractured Existence**_ , and several others! I truly do owe him for this one!

For this fic, our delinquent hero Yuichiro winds up in the world of DxD due to unknown circumstances, and ends up living with the Hyoudou Family. He will be taking Issei's place as Rias' Pawn, but for the sake of the story itself, he will not be the one to inherit Boosted Gear. Don't worry, I'm not writing Issei off. I've got something planned for him. I'm still kind of iffy about making this a harem story, so we'll see how this goes first. And also, for future questions whether or not Yu will be relying on physical strength and his 'talents', not quite. You'll understand when we reach the Familiar Forest part. So, with that in mind...

The reception has been awesome, and I am glad that everyone is enjoying the story. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter... I know I do~

* * *

 **Episode 2: The Holy Maiden (Part I)  
**

* * *

"A-are you alright?!" Yu blinked, his eyes staring at the girl in front of him. "Y-you're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"Huh? N-no...I-I'm fine." Yu reassured the woman as he stood up from the ground.

The girl was an odd sight, her attire an uncommon sight, being nothing but a black robe with a white mantle resting on her shoulders, a cap sitting atop her head. Hanging off her neck was a silver cross, but it was her face that captivated his attention. It had nothing to do with her wonderful blonde hair, or those lustrous green eyes.

She... looked just like Akane.

It was that benevolent, innocent expression on her face that triggered his memory. He had never forgotten Akame...the one girl that he had loved in the past.

She was one of the people from the orphanage he couldn't allow himself to forget, the one person who didn't snap at him or berate him, or scold him for his actions... she was always so patient, so caring.

"...ou okay?"

The boy blinked again, shaken from his thoughts. "I-I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked if you were okay," the girl asked. "You looked like you were spacing out."

"Oh...Y-yeah...I'm fine." Yu shook his head. He couldn't help but compare the girl before him with Akame. They were just so similar...

"Oh, thank goodness..." the apparent nun sighed, a hand at her heart. "I was so worried!"

...Yeah...this girl was definitely like Akame. Yu couldn't help but gaze at her with a solemn expression. It was almost as if he were conversing with his deceased friend right now.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, bowing her head in apology. "My name is Asia Argento! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"...Yuichiro." he said after a period of silence. "Yuichiro Hyakuya."

"Yui...chiro..." The girl repeated the name slowly, trying to get a feel for the foreign identity. Yu chuckled softly. It was...actually pretty cute.

"You can call me Yu if it's too hard to say."

"Ah, so... Yu then!" Asia chirped, smiling brightly. "Um, beg pardon, but do you might know where the church may be?"

"Huh? The Church?" Yu raised an eyebrow. He did know of one in the area but...it has been abandoned for years. It's not even a functional center for mass anymore. It's just a run-down building now. Surely she couldn't mean that.

"Yes," the blonde nun nodded. "You see, I've been asked to look after it for the time being."

The young teen couldn't help but frown. Someone only now just decided to send someone to fix that place up? What was going on? "...Yeah, I know where it is." he stabbed a thumb over his shoulder, pointing to the hill overlooking the city. "It's right up there."

"Ah, thank you." The girl bowed in gratitude. Yu continued to stare at her. She...really doesn't perceive anything to be suspicious about all this. He felt pity for the poor girl.

Suddenly, the girl clasped her hands together, a look of bliss on her face. "Oh thank you God for allowing to meet such a wonderful and caring person!"

Immediately, upon hearing the name, Yu suddenly felt a stinging pain erupt in his skull, wincing as he grabbed his head. "Mother...!"

"Ah?! A-are you okay?!" Asia cried out, seeing his brief instance of pain.

"Y-yeah... Just a small headache is all!"

"Are you sure you're fine? You looked to be in pain." Asia asked again, completely concerned for his well-being.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. Really, I'm fine."

"I-if you say so..." the girl nodded, though she still appeared unconvinced. "Um, pardon me for asking this, especially since we only just met, but... w-would you show me the way to the church?"

Yu paused. Should he really be doing this? He learned from Rias that Churches were enemy territory. It wouldn't do him good to be around one...even if its abandoned. But...

After a while, pondering, he sighed, scratching the back of his head. "...Alright, fine."

"Really? Thank you!" Asia smiled gratefully.

Inwardly, the green-eyed youth cringed. _'Ugh, that look..._ ' he grimaced, a hand running down his face. _'Being that innocent... I'm so glad she's not with Issei!'_

He shuddered to think what would happen if his brother had been in contact with her. He cringed upon the thought of such innocence being tainted by his perversion.

"Alright, let's go."

With everything said and done, Yu led the foreigner through the quiet town of Kuoh to their intended destination.

* * *

"So, you're originally from Italy?"

Asia nodded as they walked through the town, Yu with his bokken on his shoulder and his hand in his pocket. The trip was relatively quiet, with Asia trying to start a conversation, but was rather nervous, thus unable to properly start on. Yu wasn't really one for conversation, but he was really having trouble looking at her due to the startling resemblance between her and Akane.

He really didn't know how to act around her at this point...so he decided to strike up some idle conversation to ease the tension.

Fortunately, it seemed to be working.

"Yes!" she smiled energetically. "Although, I was mostly raised in Rome, but I had to go to Florence or Venice every now and then."

"Venice, huh?" Yu muttered absent-mindedly. "That sounds cool."

"Well...I'm not sure about cool...but the trips were interesting."

"Really?"

Asia nodded. "Yes. I especially enjoyed the gondola rides!"

"Gondola rides...now that sounds pretty cool."

"I wouldn't know if it's cool or not," Asia said, not very familiar with slang or such phrases. "But the scenery was so beautiful!" The girl looked around the city, seeming rather eager. "To tell you the truth, I've always wanted to see the cherry blossom festivals here in Japan!"

Yu raised an eyebrow. "Oh, that?" he said, completely in disinterest. "It's not anything special. Hell, the horndog hates it because it makes him sneeze like crazy."

Asia tilted her head, confused. "Horn...dog? What is that?"

"It's...nothing you need to concern yourself over." Yu waved off her question. She would have no reason to learn of such things.

That, and he really didn't her to learn about the idiot who he had the displeasure of calling him his brother.

"Oh... okay." Asia nodded, not understanding, but thought nothing of it.

The conversation died down soon after. In a matter of minutes, they were in front of their destination.

As they continued to walk, the pained cries of a child caught their attention. They looked to the right to see a young boy holding his scraped knee.

"Oh no," Asia quickly ran over to the child, worried. "Are you alright?"

"Owch," Yu winced, looking at the scrape. "That looks like it hurts."

Then something happened that made Yu freeze in awe. A green light appeared over Asia's hands over the wound. Before his eyes, the skin seemed to restore itself.

 _'W-what the?!'_ He stared in shock, watching as the flesh was reknitting itself, repairing the wound. _'H-how is she...?'_

As the light died down, Asia removed her hands from his shin, smiling gently. "There, all better now." she said to him. The boy stared at his knee in wonder before looking at Asia. Then, he grinned. "Thank you, onee-chan!"

Asia blinked, clearly not understanding. "E-eh?"

Yu frowned, wondering why she didn't seem to understand the boy's words when he recalled something that his 'master' told him. Devils had an inherit ability to understand any language, thus communications between two different dialects didn't really exist. He had been able to understand Asia, and she him, but she couldn't understand the words of the boy she healed. "He said, thank you." he informed her, helping the boy up. "Next time, try not to trip, alright shorty?"

"Un!" The boy nodded. He then stood up with renewed energy and waved goodbye at the duo. "Bye-bye Onee-chan...Onii-san!" He then turned around and ran with a smile on his face.

Yu blinked. "O-Onii-san?" he muttered, not used to be referred to as such. He had only been called that by the little ones from the orphanage. Then, he remembered what Asia did, and looked at her in confusion. "H-hey, Asia, that trick you did... what was that?"

"Ah..." her expression became one of befuddlement. How was she going to explain this to him...By the look of confusion on her face, Yu took a leap and guessed.

"...Was that a sacred gear?"

If the look on her face was anything, Yu knew he guessed right. He felt a scowl tugging at his mouth. How the hell did she get a Sacred Gear? "Y-yes," Asia nodded shyly. "It's something that God gave me."

He did not miss the brief look of pain that appeared in her eyes. _'What?'_

"Um, if I may ask..." Asia looked at him curiously, not noticing his gaze. "How did you know what it was?"

"H-huh?" he stuttered, wondering how he should explain himself. He couldn't exactly tell her that he had been killed and revived as a Devil, now could he? "I, uh... learned about them from a friend. So... I'm guessing yours heals people?"

"Mmhm..." The blonde nun nodded. "...My gift...Twilight Healing...is capable of healing any bodily harm. But it can't restore severed body parts."

"I see...so basically, it focuses on the natural aspect of healing..."

Well, that was a stupid Sacred Gear to have. Now, don't get him wrong, Yu would have killed to have a Sacred Gear that was useful, like something that doubled his power or something, and he knew how useful something that healed wounds was, but he honestly didn't really a real, practical use for it, despite the obvious advantage it could bring.

But in the end...he preferred something more combat applicable. He needed strength. Not increased healing. How else was he supposed to kill those damn bloodsuckers?!

"Um... Y-Yu?" Asia stuttering brought him out of his thoughts. "I-I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

"Eh, don't worry about it." he shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, not like I had anything better to do anyway." A wry smile spread across his face. "Besides, anything that keeps me away from Four-Eyes is actually worth my time."

"Eh?...Four...eyes...?" Asia furrowed her brow in confusion. SHe was not familiar with the slang term.

"Nevermind." Yu shook his head. There was no use explaining it to her.

"Anyway, so why're you looking after the church?" he asked out of curiosity. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I can understand since your a nun and all, but that place is as rundown as a haunted house. Hell, I'm impressed it's still standing!"

"It is...? Well...I was recently relocated to this area by my superiors...it's my first time being here." She looked at the ground.

Yu didn't say anything...but he thought this whole thing to be fishy. Wouldn't her superiors know about the condition of the church? Why would they ever send her there?

' _Something doesn't feel right...'_ he thought, staring at the church up on the hill. _'...Maybe I'm being paranoid. Then again, I was nearly killed by a damned bird._ '

They once again conversed in small talk, but Yu still remained relatively quiet, being both uncomfortable and paranoid.

He didn't know why...but he felt as if something big was going to happen soon. He tried to shake off this awkward feeling, but the dread stuck to him like glue. He knew better than to outright ignore it, though.

By the time he had managed to stave off his thoughts, he found himself in front of the Church, Asia standing before him with a smile still on her round and gentle face. "Thank you for escorting me, Yu." she said, grateful for his help as she bowed. "It truly was thanks to God I was able to meet someone caring to a land I knew nothing of."

"Er... don't mention it." Yu did better than last time, gritting his teeth at the mention of the being his 'kin' despised. Dammit, how come he was reincarnated as a Devil of all things?!

"Still, I want to repay you. Would you like some tea?"

"Yeah, sure." he shrugged his shoulders. "Why not-"

The moment he set foot on holy ground, every part of his body just screamed.

It felt as if his entire body was being burnt alive, drenched in icy cold water, and electrocuted all at once! Was this...was this the pain Devils felt in enemy territory? It hurt like hell!

Then there was his instincts. Alarm bells wrung in his head, screaming at him with only one word:

 **RUN**

"O-on second thought," Yu clamored up quickly, his face pale. "I... got something to do. Maybe next time?"

"Ah...okay..." Asia grew downcast at his change of mind. He felt like kicking himself in the face for making her disappointed. But there was nothing more he could do at that situation.

"Don't worry. I'll see you again. Promise?"

Just as quickly as she become disappointed and saddened, Asia's bright smile returned, looking at him with warmth. "Very well then!"

Yu smiled back at her, whirling on his heel and left, waving his hand over his shoulder. "See ya!"

* * *

 _ **SMACK!**_

"OW!' the teen screamed in pain, a hand now on his stinging red cheek. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, YOU RED-HAIRED BITCH?!"

"Don't ever go near the Church again, Yuichiro-kun." Rias warned him, her expression fierce and stern. Her eyes just screamed danger, but Yu didn't see it. He was pissed that Rias slapped him when he told her he helped Asia find her way to the Church.

She may be his...'master'...but what right did she have in telling him what to do?! He never even accepted becoming a Devil in the first place!

"...Just what ground do you have to order me like that?!" He glared spitefully at her.

"Now now, Yuichi-kun." Akeno said gently, standing off to the side. "She's just trying to keep you from being killed is all."

"How?!" he shrieked. "All I did was take the nun to the Church! I mean, sure, stepping into holy ground hurts like a motherfucker, but that's no reason to slap me!"

"Actually, it's more than enough reason." Rias said, her voice not loosing it's cold edge. "Holy light is harmful to us Devils. It doesn't just 'hurt like a motherfucker' as you put it, it can essentially wipe you from existence. The Church may be abandoned, but it is still a place of worship. As such, it is the territory of Angels and Fallen alike. The only reason you were not attacked was because of the fact that you guided that girl to the church in the first place. However, they will not be so lenient next time."

Yu scowled, looking away from her. "Tch, whatever." he scoffed, disregarding her warning.

"That being said..." Strangely, Rias smiled afterwards, her cold attitude dispersing in seconds. "I'm glad you are alright, Yuichiro-kun."

"Whatever, Gremory." he dismissed her words, waving his hand. "Anyway, why was she even sent to look after that dump? I've only been in Kuoh for four years, but I know that place has been vacant for a long time. Damn thing's a relic."

"...That I do not know...Normally, the Church would not do such a thing. But given that there are Fallen Angels within my territory, something is amiss." She shook her head. Her mind was deep in thought.

"So... what?" the boy frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "The crows are hiding out there or something?"

"Possibly, but we can't take any action against them." Rias explained. "One wrong move, and we may just start another war. That's why we have to be careful."

Yu's scowl deepened. It aggrivated him to no end, knowing that he couldn't do anything to the bastards who killed him. It was so infuriating! "Buchou," Akeno called out from the other side of the room, a cell phone in her hand. During their conversation, she had been on the phone, talking with someone. Who, though, he didn't know... and honestly, he didn't care. "We have orders from the Archduke."

Yu raised an eyebrow. "Archduke?" he asked, turning to Rias. "Who's that?"

"My father." Rias explained, a smile forming on her face. "And he came up at the opportune time. So, Yuichiro-kun," Her smile grew mischievous. "How do you feel about hunting a Stray Devil?"

* * *

The warehouse was probably in worse shape than the church. The entire complex looked beaten by the elements: metal becoming rusted, silver burned with brown, and metal beams scattered all over the place. It was abandoned, with several objects scattered across the complex, and shadows obscuring most of the interior.

"...Damn...this place is a fucking dump!" Yu commented, not mincing his words in the slightest. As if in response, a broken pipe that hung low had collapsed to the ground in a loud clatter.

"Places such as these are the usual hiding spots for Stray Devils." Yuuto replied.

"...smelly as crap." Koneko's face scrunched in disgust. "Let's finish this quick."

Rias smiled, amused at her Rook's comment before she became serious, taking a few steps inside the warehouse. She lifted her head up, her eyes set ablaze with pride, and her voice bearing authority. For a moment, Yu was impressed...

For a moment, being the key words.

"Stray Devil Vizor!" she declared. "On orders of Lord Gremory, you are to be executed at once!"

The warehouse returned the echo of Rias's shout. Yu grew more skeptical. Did they have the right directions? It seemed like no one was even here.

But the sound of coarse, vile laughter cleared his doubts.

"Kekekekekekekekekekakakakakakakaka..." The vicious cackle resounded.

Immediately, his senses flared, his grip over his bokken tightening. His eyes narrowed, spotting movement in the darkness.

"What is that smell..." the malevolent voice leered out, thundering footsteps echoing through the warehouse's empty hall. "It's sweet, yet sickening... Will you be tasty, or sour...? Kehehehehe..."

It wasn't long before the source of the voice was revealed. If Yu had a word to describe the being...it would be: Freak.

It was a large figure, nearly reaching the ceiling of the building. While it's upper half was that of a nude, voluptuous young woman, its lower half was that of a four-legged beast with fur and sharp claws.

"Okay, this bastard puts even the bloodsuckers to shame." Yu stated outright. "And don't even get me started on the legs!"

"...A face only a mother could love." Koneko insulted the Stray, tugging on her gloves while Kiba brought up his hand, creating a medieval sword, taking it into his grasp and slipping into a combat stance. Akeno merely giggled, allowing lightning to dance around in her hand.

"You've killed your master, and have slaughtered even innocent humans." Rias glared. "Scum such as you... no longer have a right to exist." She snapped her hand. "Kiba!"

"Hai, Buchou." the blonde Knight smiled, immediately dashing forward.

Yu blinked and the Knight was immediately on top of the Stray. His sword had already claeved through both of its arms as if they were butter.

"Whoa! What the hell?!"

"That is Yuuto's trait as a Knight. Unmatched speed and agility."

"Wait, trait? Knight? What?!"

"Ah, I forgot, I never explained to you the specifics." Rias realized, watching as the Stray tried to fruitlessly attack Yuuto. Disturbingly enough, she shot acid at him with the use of her breasts. In all honesty, it was a disturbing sight for Yu, and in more ways than one. "Have you ever played chess, Yuichiro-kun?"

"Only once, with Mika." Yu said, wincing at the memories of his dead family. "Never understood it, though."

"When the war ended, Pureblood Devils were low in number, thus in order to re-stabilize it, one of the current Satans, Ajuka Beelzebub, established the Evil Piece system, which is based on Chess. It consists of fourteen chess pieces, each with a unique property. As I said earlier, Yuuto is a knight, thus a sword is his ultimate weapon."

Yuuto continued to smile as he evaded each strike, moving in between gaps before delivering cuts to the Stray's body.

"However, while they're quite fast, they're defenses aren't very good." Rias continued before looking at Koneko. "Koneko, if you would be so kind?"

The short white-haired girl nodded wordlessly, stepping forward at a slow pace while cracking her knuckles.

"Uh...are you sure that's a good idea? No disrespect to Koneko-chan... but she's gonna get flattened by that thing."

"Ufufu...Don;t worry, Yuichiro-kun." Akeno giggled. "Koneko-chan can take care of herself." As she said this, the Stray took notice of the white haired girl and proceeded to stomp on it.

"Ignorant insect!" the Stray snarled, slamming her foot down on the small girl.

Yu's jaw dropped when the midget merely lifted up her hands... caught it. The giant paw was brought to a halt, the ground cracking beneath her feet. The Stray's eyes widened in shock, unable to believe the physical strength the girl displayed.

"What. The. Hell."

"Koneko is a Rook." Rias explained, smirking. "Not only can she take damage, she can dish it out."

Koneko gave the Stray Devil an impassive gaze, pushing her back. Then, she cocked back her fist, narrowing her eyes.

"...Suck it."

She threw a right hook.

The sound of her fist impacting the massive body was the equivalent of a gunshot! The Stray Devil was actually sent FLYING across the room before landing in the wall far above their heads. it remained their for a second before coming unstuck and crashing to the ground.

"...She's pretty tough..." Yu gawked.

"Akeno."

"Hai, Buchou." Akeno giggled, stepping forward. The Stray struggled back to it's feet, though it fell on one knee. She was gasping for air as Yuuto and Koneko backed off, allowing Akeno to step in front of it, lightning now dancing around her body.

"Other than Rook and Knight, there are two other pieces. The first of which is the Bishop. Though they lack proper defense, like Knights, they quite powerful with magic. Glass canons if you will. And the second is the Queen, which has all the traits of a Knight, Rook, and Bishop in one package." Rias smirked. "Akeno is my Queen, my strongest piece."

"Fufufu~" the raven haired girl giggled, a light blush on her cheeks. "You've been a bad girl, haven't you?" she asked, earning a spiteful glare in return. "Bad little girls like you... deserve to be punished~"

She brought down her hand.

In a flash, millions of volts of lightning had shot down from the heavens. The Stray Devil cried in agony as its body was being cruelly electrocuted.

"GRAAAAAAAAGH!"

"Oh?" Akeno tilted her head, still smiling upon seeing the Stray still alive. "Are you still alive? Okay then~"

She called down another bolt of lightning, reigning down on the Stray. Once again, it screamed in pain.

Yu took a step back, seeing that the woman doing the pain was giggling. That was not what disturbed him. It was how she looked during the torture: flushed cheeks, half-lidded eyes, and a lustful grin. He recognized such signs as someone who took great pleasure in causing pain. Except...

"Is-is she actually...?!"

Rias nodded, chuckling. "Yes, in addition to being my queen... She's also the ultimate S&M pervert."

"Ah...I see..." Yu nodded rigidly. But his mine was screaming out. _'Is this group entirely made out of a bunch of weirdos?!'_ He did not know that to think anymore. The image of the Akeno that talked with him in the past was now overtaken by the one before him now.

 _'And to make things worse, I'm also a member of this bunch of weirdos...'_ he thought, hanging his head low. _'I'm starting to wish that damned crow actually DID kill me!'_

Akeno once again called down another lightning bolt. By this time, the Stray had all but ceased it's screaming, it's flesh now nothing but a black, charred lump. "That's enough, Akeno." Rias told her Queen. The Queen pouted, but stepped away, allowing the King to step before the Stray, narrowing her eyes at it. "Any last words, Stray Devil?"

"...K-ki...ll...m...e..."

Rias snorted in disgust, her palm opening. Yu couldn't help but stare as he watched a dark, crimson aura dance around her body, gathering at the base. "Consider your wish granted." she said coldly before the blast shot forward, obliterating everything in front of it. It didn't cause any destruction, but it certainly left nothing behind. There was hardly anything left of Vizor, not even dust.

"Wh-what...was that...?" Yu was awestruck by that Rias just did to the Stray.

"That is Buchou's specialty. The Power of Destruction." Yuuto answered.

"Power... of Destruction?" Yu asked, feeling excitement well up. "Please tell me I can learn that."

"Unfortunately, no, you cannot." Rias said, flipping her hair back as she turned to face him. "And before you throw a temper tantrum, it's not just you. No one, with the exception of my family and the Bael Clan can use it. The reason for that is because the Power of Destruction was a power given solely to the Bael Clan, though it was later passed down to the Gremory Clan because of a marriage between the two in the past."

"That being said, there are very few who can actually harness it all that well." Akeno added. "Even Buchou can't really tame it."

Yu's jaw dropped. "THAT wasn't tamed?!" he shouted in disbelief. "I call bullshit! She utterly annihilated that poor bastard! And that was AFTER Himejima turned it into charcoal!"

"While that may be so...it's far from refined compared to my brother..." Rias shrugged. "...He can actually control its size and mass at will."

"Brother?"

"It's nothing." Rias told him. "Besides, it's a story for another time."

Yu raised an eyebrow, but shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever... Wait, if those guys are a Rook, Knight, and Queen, then what am I?"

Strangely, Rias developed the familiar teasing grin. "You... are my Pawn, Yuichiro-kun."

...

...one second. Two, then three.

"...WHAT?!" Yu screamed at the top of his lungs, eyes wide. His face was in total horror, utterly mortified. However, that last for a few seconds before it morphed into bridled rage. "What the hell Gremory?! First you tell me I'm some dangerous monster called a Seraph of the End, and now you tell me I'm goddamn cannon fodder?! Screw you!"

"Now now Yuichiro-kun..." Rias tried to calm him down. "...Being a Pawn is much more valuable than you imagine."

"Oh yeah?! Name one thing that makes me important aside from being a fucking meat shield!" Yu retorted.

"Promotion."

"...Huh?"

"Promotion." Yuuto repeated, an amused grin on his face from his earlier outburst. "In Chess, if you're pawn manages to reach your opponent's side of the board, you can swap it for a piece that was removed from the game. In the Evil Piece system, Pawns possess an ability called Promotion. When in enemy territory, they can attain the attributes of a Rook, Knight, Bishop, or Queen."

Yu blinked, digesting the information before slowly speaking up. "...So, if I was in a place that's enemy HQ or something, I could be as fast as you, give a good a beating as Toujou, or even be as brutal as Himejima?"

"...Pretty much." Koneko confirmed. "But Pawns can't promote to King status."

"Wait, King?" the boy frowned. "...Hold up, I think I remember one rule of Chess. Mika said that, if the King is captured, the game ends."

"That's right." Rias smiled, nodding. "The King is the most vital piece. It's the leader of the army. If the leader falls, the army goes into disarray. However, to my knowledge, a King Evil Piece was never added to the system."

"Huh? Why?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know. You would have to ask Beelzebub-sama that."

"...That's a rather vague answer..." Yu deadpanned at her.

' _Still, though...'_ he thought, a hand touching his chest. ' _It's good to know that I'm not useless. Hell, I can use this Promotion thing to deal with those shitty crows when the time's right.'_

the thought excited him. Finally...he can finally get a chance for power!

"Anyway, time to go home." Rias said, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Everyone, let's go."

"Hai, Buchou!" the other members chimed, following their king out of the warehouse, Yu dragging slowly behind them.

His mind was still occupied by the ability he was told he possessed. Promotion...a power to level up to different battle characteristics...

A dark grin formed on his face. _'Just wait, Mika...'_ he swore in his head. _'I'll kill them all... Every last one of them...!'_

* * *

Ferrid Bathory was not what you call a normal vampire. Hell, even by vampire standards, he was anything but normal.

His a word were used to describe him...it be creepy. Not creepy in the eerie sense, more like creepy in a disturbing sense. Many humans would refer to him as a pedophilic stalker.

Every now and then, he would take a great interest in a batch of human children. More often that not, he would fill them with hopes of escaping, even giving them chances to find ways of stealing his items, such as a gun or a map or even a knife. It was a game to him, really... and he enjoyed crushing their hopes.

When they finally acted on their dreams, he would be right there, waiting for them at the exit. He would always toy with them until he finally bored or when he heard some of the guards coming close. It was a real pain of they saw him playing around, especially since they knew how he could be, so he didn't have much choice.

Ferrid had been playing this game for quite a long time... and sadly, the game had only one winner thus far.

Just remembering that raven haired boy going past him was enough for him to frown in contempt. but it wasn't a total loss for him. He managed to kill that boys family right before his eyes, installing the dreadful, crushing despair into him. Well...he killed all except one, who his glorious leader took intrigue in.

n retrospect, he honestly didn't mind. He was actually quite fond of the boy. His green-eyed friend though? Not so much... Still, there was that other human that somehow managed to survive, despite the serious injury. What was their name again? It was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't remember... Ah, oh well. It wasn't like he was interested in them anyway.

Still, what a troublesome little boy his interest was. He'd only accept working for them if the vampires agreed to look for his friend. Normally, that would be brazen arrogance or sheer audacity, but for someone like their Queen, it was an acceptable deal... especially since it worked in her favor. After all, the boy WAS one of her precious little Seraphs. What was the harm in looking for him?

To be rather frank, Ferrid was actually hoping the boy had joined with those humans... what did they call themselves again? The Imperial Japanese Demon Army? Ah, it would quite the tragic love story!

To think...the two brothers would reunite on the battlefield. Each one on the opposing side. They would be forced to fight one another in a tragic tale of blood. Oh how beautifully despairing!

"What's with that disgusting look on your face, Ferrid?"

The man smiled at the woman who stood across from him, her body placed on the throne, legs crossed over one another. She was dressed in a long, overbearing black attire with frills, the sleeves easily going past her hands and down to her calves, also wearing knee-high boots with high heels, said heels being sharp pointed ends. Her hair was strawberry pink, done in two pigtails that came down to either side, while her eyes were a common sight among vampires: dark crimson red. Of course, her adorable pet was flapping it's wings above her shoulder, keeping a careful eye on him.

"Ah, that's a cruel thing to say, Krul." Ferrid told the Third Progenitor, still smiling. "I was just thinking of how beautiful you look. I'm sure your darling brother, Asura, would say the same thing."

"Hmph," Krul Tepes scoffed indignantly. "And if he heard such spiel coming from your filthy mouth, he'd cut you down where you stand."

"my...isn't that cold of him." Ferid feigned emotional pain, but broke out into a huge grin soon after.

"Well, all jokes aside, I'm afraid everything is still the same. We can't find any sign of that boy our precious Mika-chan is fond of." the Seventh Progenitor reported. "It's almost like he's completely vanished without a trace... Mm, perhaps eaten by one of the Four Horsemen of John?"

"Highly unlikely." Krul disagreed. "They prefer destroying humans into they're nothing but a bloody mess over eating."

"Hah, how true." Ferrid laughed. "Still, it's quite odd. By now, one would think we would have found him already."

"I know...and this has been a rather annoying matter as of late. It's almost as if the boy has vanished from the face of the earth."

Ferrid developed a fanged, teasing grin at this news. "Oh? And has our dear Mika-chan been breathing down your neck lately?"

Krul glared at him. "You speak as if you own him..." she growled, sharp slits developing in her pupils. "Need I remind you that, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have a missing Seraph, and three dead ones?" A harsh glare was directed at the man, but he didn't look the least bit fazed. "It's a wonder why I haven't killed you yet."

"It's because you find me charming is all." Ferrid joked before standing. "Well, if that's all, I'll be taking my leave." He gave a wink as he whirled about on his heel. "Give my regards to Mika-chan!"

"As if I would ever do such a thing." Krul scoffed as the creepy vampire left the room. Once he was gone, the vampiress sighed in frustration. Just talking by talking to Ferid she gets a migraine. She has no idea why she puts up with him. And quite frankly, she didn't want to remember.

Oh well, she supposed that's what she gets for being so lenient... Now, if it were her darling brother, the annoyance would have been killed the moment he opened his foul mouth. Still, he did bear a point. The escaped Seraph of the End, Yuichiro Hyakuya, was still missing after all these years of searching. She poured every resource she could think of, doing this as quietly as possible so not as to arouse suspicion from the other Progenitors. She had been ordered to kill them, but after hearing what she learned, how could she? They were simply far too valuable... among one other reason.

Still, the fact that he had not been found worried her. How could he have stayed hidden for so long? It was impossible to escape Japan, as all other ways of reaching overseas were futile, and all resistance groups, sans the annoying Imperial Demon Army, were wiped out. If it were the last group, they would have gathered some information, but that was a moot point as of this time. For four years, the escaped Seraph had not been found. It was almost as if...

As if he had... been spirited away...

Realization lit up across Krul's features, soon made manifest by the scowl on her face, biting her thumbnail. Her ire was directed at the being who entered her room without permission, their body seemingly appearing out of existence, and softly standing before the Third Progenitor in absolute silence and void.

"You have a lot of nerve stealing one of MY Seraphs, Ophis."

She had cursed the name of the Dragon of Infinity. Why must IT of all beings interfere with her plans?! How was it possible that it learned of the truth of the Seraphs?!

The being in front of her, however, didn't seem to understand. It simply gazed at her with impassiveness. "You... are wrong."

Krul glared at the being with contempt. "What?"

"That Seraph of the End..." Ophis spoke of the destructive being. "Yuichiro Hyakuya... he belongs to ME."

"What?!" The third Progenitor shouted in absolute, seething fury. What right does IT have to claim the Seraph over her?!

"That Seraph...belongs to me. You have...no claim..."

Krul's teeth grinded together harshly, wanting nothing more than to grab the being by the throat and tear it's pretty little head off. Right now, Ophis had taken the form of a small child of the same height and apparent age, possessing strange, violet eyes and jet black hair, dressed in more or less the same manner, except in a more gothic lolita style. Dancing around her were dark apparitions that reminded one of snakes.

"Y-you..." the Vampire growled with anger. "How DARE you?!"

Ophis regarded her with apathy. "I, own the Seraph. He... no longer belongs to you, Krul Tepes."

"...You're just begging for me to claw up that pretty little face of yours...don't you?!"

"...Your threats...mean nothing...You can't touch me..."

"Why you...!"

As much as she hated to admit, it was right. Ophis was leagues beyond her. No one, sans perhaps the Seraphs themselves, armed with the strongest Cursed Gear, the weapons the Imperial Demon Army had been constructing, could hope to match her. All Krul could do was scream and shout threats, but that was the end of it.

Gritting her teeth, she sat back down in her throne, growling. "Tch... Why did you steal him in the first place?" she asked. "What? Don't tell me you think he can get rid of that dragon that's gotten on your nerves?"

"I, have...for a number of reasons..." Ophis answered with a smug grin, which served to fuel her Ire. "One...is to gain a powerful tool to get rid of Great Red...Two...is to revive the legend...of the Seraph..."

Krul's eyes widened for a brief moment, shocked at the last reason before settling down. "...You're playing a dangerous gamble, Ophis." she warned, her expression grim. "As I seem to recall in what you told me when you gave me that offer... the Seraph of the End were called the Children of Trihexa in that world for a reason."

"Maybe so...but destruction gives forth...creation..." The Dragon responded. "...They are not the descendents...of the Apocalypse beast...they were merely named so...based off of crude understanding..."

"They were called that name because they're just as destructive." Krul argued. "Believing in something dangerous can destroy a measly dragon that evicted you from your 'home'... Quite a petty reason."

"...You have no room to speak, mosquito."

Krul growled upon being called by that insult, but kept herself in check. "And how is my reason petty compared to yours?" she asked smugly. "Go on. Tell me."

"...You have... no guarantee you will succeed."

The Vampiress involuntarily flinched from the sharp remark. Her reason...was flawed?! That's impossible! She looked over and refined every possible factor for success! Her course of action should be perfect!

"...There is no such thing...as perfection..."

"Tch!" Krul looked away, not wanting to look at the spiteful being. "A-as if I need to listen to someone like you! Why are you even here, dragon?!"

"I, wish... to hear your answer... once more."

Krul 'hmph'ed at the remark. "I've told you before, Ophis. I have no intention of getting involved in affairs that no not matter to me, especially as something as mundane as the affairs of another world."

 _'Although...'_ she narrowed her eyes, deep in thought. _'Mika-chan's friend is in that world now...'_

"...I, see." Ophis lowered her head. "Very well."

With that, the Dragon of Infinity vanished. With her presence gone, Krul could now freely speak her mind.

"Insufferable, arrogant, filthy dragon...!" Krul spat angrily, her form shivering with anger. "How dare she mock me?! Moreover, how dare she take one of my Seraphs?! The nerve of her...!"

The Third Progenitor was beyond peeved. She REALLY detested the Dragon of Infinity. Every time it appears before her, all it does was ridicule her with its condescending attitude. But she knew she couldn't do much against it...it was way out of her league.

After all, it was called a Dragon God for a reason. While the prospect of another world existed was intriguing, it really did not interest her in the least. Besides, she wanted nothing to do with that world's matters, especially since they had their own vampires. From what she understood, they were a conceited, haughty bunch... possibly even worse than the system they had now. For hell's sake, they discriminated against those of lower blood!

The very thought made her want to spit in disgust. At least the system she was with had no discrimination. All vampires were treated equally, as they were all on the same side. She had an impulse to just go into that world and slap some much needed sense into those arrogant prick's thick skulls!

At any rate, she wanted nothing to do with Ophis' agenda, nor the affairs of this parallel world. Although, given that Ophis had Yuichiro Hyakuya, she might become involved at one point or another. After all, he was the reason why her dear Mika-chan was willing to cooperate with them.

"So troublesome..."

* * *

Unbeknownst to her, however, Ferrid Bathory was leaning against the door leading to her chambers, a slight smirk etched into his face, and his arms crossed over his chest. "Oh my," he chuckled. "Does that Dragon know how to push Krul's buttons, or what? Still, how bold. Revive the legend of the Seraph of the End? Quite ambitious of her!"

"..."

He looked at the figure leaning against the wall, clad in only a black cloak. Their features were hidden by the shadow of the hood, though their skin was obviously pale, evident by the gaps between the cuffs of the cloak and the gloves. Their arms were folded over their chest, head lowered, and shoulders square, their neck trained to look at him.

"..."

"Oh, don't give me that look," Ferrid chuckled, holding up his hands in defense. "I know what I'm getting into."

"..."

"Yes, yes, I'm well aware of the implications." the Vampire said, removing himself from the door. "Even still, Ophis just has NO idea what she is getting into... then again, neither does our dear Mika-chan."

"..."

Ferrid raised an eyebrow. "...You do realize what would happen if we did that, right?" he asked for confirmation. "If we get caught, Krul's gonna do more than just kill us. Hell, we'd be lucky if all she leaves behind is our heads!"

"..."

A sigh escaped his lips. "Oh, what the hell..." He dug into his pocket, pulling out a black case. "Not like I actually care. This is all the data we have so far."

"..." The figure wordlessly accepted it as it seemed to back back into the shadows.

"Hmph...the least he could do is say a thank you. He is just like those...what did those human call them...?...Ninjas...?" The Noble asked in thought before shrugging.

"At any rate, this will be interesting." he chuckled, making way towards his next destination. "I can't help but wonder what the future has in store."

* * *

"Contracts?"

Rias nodded, taking a sip of her tea. "Yes, that's right." she began to explain to her (unwilling) Pawn. "Devils feed on the wants and desires of those who are willing to do business. In a sense, I suppose you could say that we gain strength from them. It's a slow way of getting power, but it's more than enough to keep us on our toes. I wanted you to fully grasp the basics before moving on, so..."

She produced a small slip of paper from her drawer, handing it to him. "This is one of our flyers. It's already been imbued with a client's wants and desires, so all that's left to do is fulfill it. For you, I kept it simple: All you have to do is help a couple who are about to file for a divorce."

"...You're kidding right?" Yu deadpanned. He was supposed to be a mediator or something? Sure! Just ask the guy who knows SQUAT about relationships! Should be all fine and dandy with sun shines and rainbows!

Was this heiress even thinking when she decided this?!

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

"...No."

The red-haired King smiled. "Then hop to it!"

A groan escaped him. "Why can't someone else do this? I mean, Himejima or Kiba seem more suited to this kind of stuff."

"Everyone else already has contracts to fulfill." Rias explained. "So, unfortunately, you're on your own for this."

"Whoopie..."

The raven haired teen sighed. There was no way Rias was going to let him go on this, was there?

"Alright, fine..." he muttered. "I better get paid for this."

"Oh don't worry. You will. Devils get paid for the contracts they take up."

* * *

When Yu saw the house where his contract was supposed to be, he immediately felt something... off.

The lights were off, as if everyone within the house was fast asleep. But he found this to be unlikely. He would've thought his contractors would be wide awake to greet him or something. Plus...it was too quiet. There was barely any movement or sound coming from the house. It just felt...lifeless...

Frowning, he undid the cloth around his bokken, and wrapped his hand around the handle. He gave it a mere push, and the door opened slightly. "Not even locked..." he muttered, his unease growing as he stepped inside. The room was lit barely by a soft light. "Hello?" he called out. "Anyone here?"

He received no response.

"...the hell is going on?"

Seeing as no response returned, he took it upon himself to delve deeper into the eerily quiet home. However, as he walked deeper into the building, a foul stench grew stronger.

"What...this smells like...blood...?!" Now Yu was growing tense. Silent house, smell of blood, no voices...this can;t be good.

He carefully stepped inside the living room. It was quant and comfortable, fine furniture showing a sense of peace and quiet. However, the eerie silence robbed it of such brilliance, and the stench only made it worse. Yu frowned, looking around the room...

...only to stop dead when he saw his contracters bodies: torn apart, bloodied and mangled, as if ripped to shreds. Blood was splattered all over the wall, forming into a writing he knew nothing of, while the corpses could be barely recognized.

Bile rose in his throat, a hand quickly clasping over his mouth, trying to push down the urge to vomit. He nearly lost his grip of his wooden sword. "W-what the hell... is this?!"

"Punish the wicked for their evil deeds, is what I'd like to call it~!"

Immediately, Yu grew on edge from the sudden spike in bloodlust. He kept a steady hand on his wooden sword as he whipped around to face the source of the voice.

He could now see a figure sitting on the couch closest to the entrance hall, his arms slung over the edges. They were dressed in black apparel, a silver cross hanging from their neck, and a mess of white hair. When he lifted his head, Yu knew one word that best described the look on his face:

Madness.

It was an expression just oozing with bloodlust and insanity. It was even worse than the deranged bloodsuckers he's witnessed in the past.

"My my," the man drawled as he hopped off the couch, turning to face Yu. "I never would have thought I'd meet a Shitty Devil here!"

"Che, that's calling the kettle black, pot!" the green-eyed teen snarled, runes dancing all over his bokken. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Oh, dear me!" the man grinned. "I forgot to introduce myself! Freed Sellzan, an Exorcist and slayer of Shitty Devils, at your service!"

"An Exorcist...?!" Yu's eyes widened momentarily before narrowing into a sharp glare. "Stop bullshitting me!"

"Whoops, my bad." Freed grinned further. "I meant to say, 'former' Exorcist! The Church didn't really like me all that much, so they gave me the boot!"

"Hah! I can see why. Seriously, I wouldn't want you around either!"

"Aw, that's cold!" the man cackled. "Really cold! I think I might die of frostbite! Say, I know! How about I bathe in your blood to keep me warm, Shitty Devil?!"

Yu snarled, anger rising in his chest. "Bring it on, Shitty Priest!"

"Oho?! I Shitty Devil with some spunk...I LIKE THAT!" With a demented grin, Freed leaped over and pulled out a sword handle. The weapon came to life as a blade of pure light extended from the hilt.

He swung the weapon down, the white sword coming down upon him. The runes along the wood flared, the bokken grinding against it. "What the shit?!" Freed snarled. "What the hell kind of wood do you have?!"

"The best kind, now shut it!" Yu snapped back, shrugging the attack off before making a quick stab. Freed hopped to the left, swinging his body around to try and cut off the boy's head off. Yu ducked under the swing, moving back to avoid having his shoulder cut, and then went straight for the offensive.

Using his training in the kendo club, Yu began to swing wildly, though not in the manner of a barbarian. His attacks were swift, hard, and on point, all aimed at vital parts that could deal major damage. Despite his apparent insanity, Freed was able to defend himself quite well, blocking each attack and keeping pace.

 _'shit! This guys good!'_ Yu mentally snarled at the psychopaths swordsmanship. The claim of being an exorcist was no joke.

Even still, that did not mean he was just about to lie down and die.

Yu amped up the tempo, increasing the speed of his strikes and using the room to his advantage. He made a quick feint, then jumped on the wall, bouncing off and delivering an air strike to Freed, though the priest blocked it. Yu, however, smirked when he landed on his feet, twisting the blade around into an underhand fashion.

It grazed his side, but it also rammed straight into the psycho's stomach, causing him to do a spit-take. Using that opportunity, Yu whirled around, slamming his fist into his jaw, and then grabbing the man by the hair and thrusting his knee straight into his face.

Yu felt the cartilage of the priests nose collapse under the weight of his strike, causing blood to spurt out like a hose. The raven haired teen than grabbed him by the collar before throwing him over his shoulder into the wall.

"Gack!" Freed bit back a scream, his back slamming into the wall, clutching his broken nose. "Y-you bastard!" he screeched. "You broke my nose!"

"I'm gonna break more than that!" Yu promised as tried to throw a right hook, only for Freed to grab it in his hand. He pulled the youth in, slamming his head against his. The dizziness and disorienting pain was enough to nearly send him to the floor, but he stood his ground, glaring at the man before Freed tried to cut his head off again.

He ducked, quickly rolling back when the priest tried to stab him into the ground.

"Damn you! Stay still you fucking devil!" Freed snarled as he pulled out his blade again and swung. Yu blocked the attack and parried it aside.

"And risk getting sliced?" Yu scoffed. "No thanks, asswipe!"

Again, the two exchanged blows. Aside from the earlier physical fight, Yu had not managed to hit Freed again. Now, it was simply a sword fight, with one trying to kill the other, either with a wood stick or a white blade.

Every time the light sword narrowly missed him, Yu felt his body scream instinctively to run away. But he suppressed those urges. He couldn't run from this fight. He had to stop this psycho from continuing these sickening acts.

Yu continued to defend himself, his sword interlocking with Freed's.

The exiled priest grinned like a mad man, and the blood pouring into his teeth from his nose made him look all the more deranged.

"Hahahahahahahah! Ah, this is so much fun!" Freed cackled, continuing to whack at him with a maddening flurry. "You know something, Shitty Devil? I think I'm in love with ya! And you know what? I love you so much that I'll gut you like a fucking horse!"

"Okay...Gross..." Yu gagged as he stopped the incoming blade with his bokken before elbowing him in the face. "I don;t know what crap you're smoking...but I don't swing that way!"

"Oh, you'll be swinging!" Freed grinned with madness, jumping to avoid having his head cut off.

"Keep blabbing your stupid mouth and I;m gonna cut your fucking head off!"

Yu avoided another swing of the blade before backing away, his breath labored. Sweat was pouring down his face. 'Dammit... Even though I've been fighting for so long, this bastard is still so energetic! And how the hell does he keep moving around so much?!'

"Looks like you're getting tired, Shitty Devil~" Freed observed, his hand resting against his hip. "Funny thing about light! It's not just dangerous when you're touching it!"

'Wait, what is he...?' Yu gasped in realization, his eyes widening. "Son of a bitch... You were never trying to cut me in the first place!"

"BINGO~!" Freed cheered, dancing around before he leered at the boy. "All it takes is a little light, and Devils can't keep up!"

Dammit! So Freed was just toying with him this whole time! And Yu actually let him do so! He was so caught up in the fight...that he didn't notice that the exorcist was just dragging this battle out to tire him before ending his life!

God he felt like an idiot!

"I'm not gonna kill you, though." Freed told him. Yu simply glared at him. "I'm gonna take my time... So, here's a question! How do you like a holy bullet in your shoulder?"

"Huh?" Yu raised his eyebrow in question. But he felt severe, burning pain immediately after.

He felt a scream rip out of his throat, his shoulder feeling as if it had just been stabbed with a hot-iron stake. Freed stood there across from him, holding a black revolver with a smoking barrel. "What do you think, Shitty Devil?" he asked with a smirk. "Holy bullets hurt like a fucking bitch, don't they?!"

"F-Fuck you you piece of shit...!" Yu growled through gritted teeth. It was taking all of his will not to fall unconscious.

Yu bit back a scream, clutching his shoulder. He felt as if every fiber of his being was being ripped apart. Did holy light... really hurt this much? Was this Devils felt pain when placed against something that they detested?

"AAAAAAH!"

Yu's eyes widened as his head whipped around.

Standing in the doorway, with a horrified expression... was Asia Argento.

The boy froze midstep, his mind just...stopped right there. Where did she come from? No, better yet...Why the hell was she here?!

Yu did not know what to make of this. Why was Asia...it was then he realized something.

Was Asia... working with Freed?!

"F-Father Sellzan..." Asia stared at the bloody sight left undisturbed on the wall, looking ready to pass out any second. "W-what is all of this?!"

"Huuuh?" Freed raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you talking about Asia-chan? It is what it looks like! I cut up a couple of sinners and am now exorcising this shitty devil!"

"W-what?" Asia turned, and found herself staring back at Yu, her eyes growing wider by the second. "Y-Yu...?"

"A-Asia, what are you doing here?!"

"Ara?" Freed tilted his head. "Oh, don't tell me! You two met each other! Hahahah! That's so funny!

Yu's teeth were clenched in frustration. He was itching more and more to knock out the shitty priest's teeth and make him eat them!

"I-I don't understand!" Asia cried out. "W-why would you do this?!"

"Haaaaah?!" the silver-haired priest, eyes wide in disbelief. "I just told you! I punished the sinners, and dealing with this Shitty Devil!"

"D-Devil...?! Y-Yuichiro-san...is a Devil?" Asia stepped back in shock. Yu could only look away from her. Who would've thought THIS was how they would reunite?

"Yep yep~" Freed grinned from ear to ear. "So, if you excuse me...!" He twirled his sword around, about to strike him when-

"No, you can't!"

The nun stood between the exorcist and the devil. Both were puzzled by her sudden actions.

"A-Asia?" Yu gaped, eyes wide. Freed was stunned, staring at the girl before a snarl appeared on his face.

"Hey, hey hey hey... Asia-chan, what do you think you're doing?"

"E-even though Yuichiro-san is a Devil...he is not an evil person! Please don't hurt him!"

If Yu wasn't already shocked, then he was now. Asia was an ally to the Church... and yet she was... defending him?

Why... why did this sound so... familiar...?

"Not an evil person?" Freed repeated before he started to laugh, throwing his head back. "Oh! Oh I think I get it now! You're actually in love with this kid, aren't you?! Hahahaha! Man, that's so funny, it's sickening!" Then, his laughter ceased, his eyes becoming a dark, dangerous glare. "C'mon kid, that brat's a Shitty Devil! He isn't buddy buddy with you!"

"No, you're wrong!" she shook her head. "This man... isn't a bad person!"

"Shut up!" Yu felt his blood boil like lava at what happened next.

The bastard Freed just punched Asia across the face!

"You son of a bitch!" the boy screamed, absolute fury boiling his blood. "How dare you?!"

He didn't get that far when he suddenly found himself shot in the leg, a bullet lodged in his thigh. Once again, absolute pain screamed all over his body. He was thrown to the floor, his bokken clattering to the ground. "D-dammit...!"

"Maah, you're such a pain, Asia-chan." Freed said, pulling the girl up by the hair. "I think you need to be taught a lesson!"

He threw the girl up against the wall, his hand still firmly placed against her skull, keeping her in place. Yu's anger rose further as he looked down her body, licking his lips. "Even though you're lacking, you're still definitely filled!"

Yu's rage was flaring up with each passing second. He was beyond defeating Freed by this point. He was downright furious! He wanted to see him in pain! He wanted him to suffer! He wanted him to experience Despair! He wanted him to feel Helpless! He wanted to Kill him!...no...that is too weak of a word...

...He wanted to ANNIHILATE HIM!

What right did he have to do this to her?! He was... He was...!

. ** _..A SINNER._**

As Yu's rage peaked to new heights, a sharp pain suddenly erupted within his head and back.

Emotions, ideals, logics screamed and lashed about in his head. Suddenly, a clarity had itself open to him. He could see Asia's own radiance, feel her thoughts, how kind and gentle she was. Though she had been stained with a crime, she possessed a heart unlike any other. She cared little for racial differences, for all was equal in the eyes of one being, even something as cruel and abhorrent as Devils, or those who fell from God's grace.

Freed... he was stained to the very bone with darkness. Madness, chaos, that was what could best be used to describe this disgusting vermin. He was filth, nothing but a disease. The longer he lingered in this world, the more damage he would do. Scum like him had no right to exist. They did not have any right. He was vermin. All humans like him were vermin! A Sinner! And Sinners must die!

 ** _ALL SINNERS MUST DIE!_**

 _ **"GRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH...!"**_ Yu released a terrifying roar, the magnitude more than enough to shake the foundation of the building. Both humans covered their ears from the defeating cry.

"What the shit?!" Freed screamed, his voice drowned out from the roar. He turned to glare at Yu, only to stop dead, his eyes widening in horror. "T-THE FUCK?!"

Yu's left eye had changed: the sclera had become a pale red, and bloody tears were running down from it. However, that was not what frightened Freed. It was his shadow, created by the lamp that had fallen on it's side.

The Devil's shadow had a pair of wings, far unlike the ones of his accomplices. They were like branches, spreading outward.

 _ **"GET AWAY FROM HER!"**_ Yu screamed, swinging his arm. The next moment, a large shockwave was thrown forward, ripping the floorboards apart in it's advance, and blowing Freed away from Asia, his body smashing straight into the wall.

"Gugruagh!" the exorcist choked from the sudden impact. He spat out copious amounts of blood, a good number of his ribs were cracked from that strike alone.

But Yu was far from finished. With inhumane speed, he closed the distance between himself and the downed priest and stabbed his sword into his arm.

Freed screamed out in pain, but even that was ceased when Yu grabbed him by the throat, his fingers tightening around the neck. The man's airpipe was already becoming restricted, soon choking on his own lack of air. "G-gugh... gaghk!" He tried to fight back, shooting the gun. The bullets struck him several places, from the stomach to the arms.

But Yu didn't feel anything. His entire body was void of pain. All he knew was unbridled anger and hatred, all of it focused on this man and all those like him.

 _ **"SINNERS...**_ " he growled out, absolute hatred echoing in it. _**"ALL SINNERS... ALL OF YOU... MUST DIE...!"**_

"S-Sin...Sinners...?!...B-Bullshit!" Freed croaked from the limited air intake. "...The...the only sinner I see...is YOU Shitty Devil!"

 _ **"...ALL SINNERS MUST DIE!"**_ Undisturbed by the latent insult, Yu dug his fingers into the flesh of the priest's throat. As he did so, his blood red eye became completely black with black blood dripping down his cheek. With a swift tug, the Seraph tore through his throat with his fingernails.

Freed's eyeballs were slowly growing dim, rolling to the back of his head while his struggling became less. Yu continued to applied pressure. It would not be long before the Sinner's throat would be snapped.

Just a little more-

"No, stop!"

Asia cried desperately as she hugged him from behind. Her expression was one of sorrow and fear. Tears streamed down her face as she begged him to stop.

"Please, you can't do this, Yuichiro-san!" she begged for him, though her words had little effect. Yu was still strangling Freed, ever so close to bringing his life to an end. "Come back to your senses! What would your loved ones say if they could see you now?!"

That elicited a reaction. Yu's visible eye widened, his grip ceasing. His senses became dull for a moment, slack even.

What would... his loved ones...?

 **'Yu-onii-chan!'**

"...who...?"

 **'Yuichiro-kun, that's enough! He's not worth it!'**

"...A...ka...ne...?"

 **'Yu-chan, don't! Please don't become a murderer!'**

"...Mi...ka...?"

Who...who were these voices...?...No...no...he...he remembers! How could he have forgotten them, even for a moment? How could he forget his family?!

"Yuichiro-san, please..." Yu looked down, his green eye staring at Asia's sobbing ace. "Please... don't become a killer...!"

"A-A...sia..."

Rationale and reason had returned to him. His left eye, which had become so black and murky, receded back to reveal it's original, soft green luster. He pulled back his hand, allowing Freed, unconscious from the lack of oxygen, to fall to the ground.

"W-what..." Yu breathed, a hand on his face. "What... the hell was I...?"

As much as he tried to focus...he just couldn't recall what happened. What did he do? And why does his head hurt? As these thoughts ran through his mind, the branch-like wings slowly receded into his back. Yu did not feel them as they slowly disappeared.

"Y-Yuichiro-san?" Asia called out to him. Yu stared at his own hand, and then at the fallen form of the rogue exorcist. "A-are you... alright?"

"I-I..." he stuttered in confusion. "I... don't know."

"Ara? Looks like our kouhai went to party hard~"

Yu's eyes widened from recognition. He knew that voice...just why are they here? WIth narrowed eyes and a frown, he turned around to face his master and fellow club mates.

Kiba and Koneko looked at the bloody sight in disdain, the blonde glaring at it with hatred, though Yu knew it was for a whole other reason. Akeno was looking around the room with a look of astonishment. Rias, on the other hand, looked worried... especially when she saw Asia, and Freed's unconscious body.

"Yuichiro-kun..." she asked, stepping forward. "What in the world happened here?"

Yu scowled, glaring at the rogue exorcist. "This fucker happened." he said with a snarl. "When I got here, my contractors were dead... and then this sick bastard tried to gut me!"

Sep 10He was furious. He had every right to be. He felt powerless against the exorcist, who revealed that he was toying with him the entire time! And what's worse...Freed actually punched Asia and threatened her. Just remembering these thoughts aroused the dark impulse within his body.

 ** _...All sinners...must die...!_**

"nrgh...!"

"Aah!" Asia yelped when she rushed to his side, clutching his head in pain.

Rias' eyes narrowed, feeling a terrifying, overwhelming presence slowly creeping into the back of her mind. _'So, it's starting to awaken already.'_ she thought. ' _This is bad... If manifested so early...'_

She was definitely fearing the chaos that would ensue if that being returned.

"...Buchou...there are Fallen Angels here." Koneko pointed out as the others detected the aforementioned presence.

At the mention of the black-winged Angels, Yu's eyes widened, and smirked. "Finally, some payback-!"

"Let's go then."

"WHAT?!"

Yu shouted in question at Rias, who was already preparing a magic circle.

"It would do us no good if we are caught by them. No need to turn this place into a battlefield."

"So what?! We can take them!"

"No, we can't." she replied back without turning around. "There are four of them, and one of them is on par with even a Power. If we fight here, this whole city block will become a battle ground, and then every human in the area gets involved."

Yu bit back a scowl, his fingernails digging into the base of his palms. 'Dammit, this is my chance at getting back at that crow... but...!'

He wasn't a fool, or someone so fully devoted into revenge. He couldn't bring others down with him, all for his petty agenda. If he did that, then... how would that make him any different from the vampires?

Reluctantly, he nodded back at Rias, who smiled in return. Then, he looked at Asia. "C'mon, Asia, let's blow this joint."

Sadly, Rias' smile faltered, and became one of forlorn. "...That isn't possible, Yuichiro-kun."

"And why the hell not?!" he shot back instantly, glaring at her. "What? Is it because she's with the church?! She tried to stop Freed from killing me! She's got nothing to do with them!"

"It isn't that." she shook her head. "The teleportation spell only works on those of my household. Asia is not affiliated with us in any way."

"But...!"

"Yuichiro-kun...please let it go."

"Like Hell I will!" Yu shouted indignantly at her. "Why should I leave an innocent person to these bastards?! There's gotta be another way!"

"There isn't."

"Then leave me here! I can still fight!"

"Yuichiro-san, it's alright." Asia told him. The boy's eyes widened in shock, turning to look at her. Despite her small, trembling frame, she was still able to smile. "I'll be alright... It's okay, you can go."

"B-but, Asia...!"

"Really, it's fine!" she insisted, growing desperate. "I don't... want to become a burden to you."

Yu scowled deeply, his nails digging even deeper, the fringe of his hair hiding his eyes. His mind went back to the memories of his friends, the sight of their corpses left on the ground, bleeding out from either being bit on the neck or being sliced apart. Even the haunting image of Mika without his arm, the vampire's own limb spearing through his chest, was still there vividly.

After everything that happened... after everything he sacrificed...

How could Rias expect him to leave someone else behind?!

"...I left my friends to die once," he said, loud enough for everyone the room to hear. "And I refuse to abandon another friend to die!"

He made his decision right then and there. Without breaking tempo, his arms slid around Asia's back and legs, pulling her up away from the ground, and into his embrace. "Ah!" Asia blushed, this being the first time she was held bridal style. "Y-Yuichiro-san?!"

"Yuichiro-kun?!"

"Hold on tight, Asia!" Yu told her, looking into her eyes before he charged past a shocked and stunned Rias.

"Wait! Where are you going?! Stop!" Rias tried to stop him, but Yu was already out the door. "Dammit! How can he be so reckless?!"

"Buchou!" Yuuto voiced. "The Fallens will be here any second. What do we do?"

Rias took a moment to think. Should she just pursue her pawn? Or retreat and look for him later?

"...We'll head back," she said, biting her lip. "Koneko. Have your familiar tail after Yuichiro-kun."

Koneko nodded, and extended her hand. Meanwhile, Rias was frowning, her mind pondering what he had said earlier.

 _'Left your friends to die... Yuichiro-kun, what did you mean by that?'_

There was something her Pawn wasn't telling her. Then again, he wasn't so willing to trust her after everything so far. But this little slip of the tongue intrigued her. Was it something from his unspoken past?

More questions were to come later. Now they must retreat.

* * *

"...Um... Aniki?"

"Not one word, Ise." Yu warned, glaring at his 'brother' as Asia was currently being fawned over by his parents. He knew nowhere else to go, and he sure as hell was not about to go to Rias' place, so the next best thing he could think of was his home. Of course, this meant dealing with his 'parents' and his pervert of a 'sibling'.

But hey, it beats dealing with Fallen Angels.

"Sure..." Ise nodded. "...YEAH, RIGHT! What gives?! W-where did you find such a cute girl?! W-wait, don't tell me...!" the boy suddenly developed stars in his eyes, hope filling in his chest. "Y-you're starting a harem-GACK!"

In response to his words, Yu promptly grabbed the boy by the head, and slammed him into the wall. "Shut up."

"Itai...What the hell is wrong with you?!" Issei retorted. The response he received was the blade of Yu's bokken against his neck.

"Listen...I'm tired...I have a fucking headache...and I am not in the mood for your conversation. So shut up before I make you!"

"Why you-"

Issei stopped dead, his body shaking when Yu glared at him... except this glare was far more terrifying than any others.

It could only best be described as the Glare of the Demon.

"...okay."

Yu nodded, and wrapped his bokken back up in it's cloth before turning to his adoptive folks. He felt an eyebrow twitch in annoyance.

They were still fawning over the girl.

"Ara? So this is the girl that Yuichiro-kun brought home?...So cute!"

"I agree. You got yourself a real find, Yu!"

"U-um..." Asia did not know how to react with this sort of attention.

"So, Asia-chan, was it?"

"H-hai!"

"Haa, no need to be so formal! Still, you're Japanese is pretty good! Where did you say you were from?"

"I-Italy."

"Italy? Wow. That is so nice."

"Yes. To be from Europe and be able to pick up a new dialect so quickly...I'm impressed."

"W-well, I had a good teacher..." Asia stammered. The Fallen Angel, Dohnaseek, may had been a bit tempered, but his talents as a scholar helped him prove to be an able teacher. She was able to speak Japanese near flawlessly, but she still had trouble every now and then.

"Still, it's quite impressive!" Issei's father smiled brightly, turning to Yu. "You scored big time, Yu!"

"Ah shaddap!" the boy snapped, his face red. "A-and she's not my girlfriend!"

"Ara? Then why's your face so red?"

"Sh-Shut up!" Yu turned to look away. Sure enough, his cheeks were tinged with red from embarrassment. Why did they have to tease him like this? It was pretty annoying.

"By the way, Asia-chan, where do you live?" Ryonaga asked.

"Ah...Um..." Aisa looked down, unsure how to properly answer that. Yu then remembered. She had just arrived in Japan and was immediately sent to the church. She had no where else to go.

"Do you, perhaps..." Kasumi frowned in worry, a hand at her cheek. "Have no place to stay? Where are your parents, young one?"

"I, um... don't have any parents." the blonde nun confessed. Yu's eyes widened, staring at the girl in absolute wonder. She... didn't have anyone to care for her? Only those at the church? "I've been living at the church for as long as I could remember."

"So...you were an orphan...?"

"Yes." Asia nodded. "I was taken in by the Church at a young age and trained as a nun."

"So..." Ryonaga scratched the back of his neck, sensing the awkward atmosphere. "You don't have anyone looking after you?"

"N-no, I..."

"Ryonaga-san, Kasumi-san," Yu spoke up. "If it's not too much to ask, can Asia stay here for the night?"

"..." Everyone paused to look at him with widened eyes, save for Asia. Did...Did Yu really request that of them?

"Y-Yuichiro-kun?" Kasumi gaped, staring at her adopted son. The boy's eyes were lit with a fierce fire, one she hadn't seen before, not since he first set foot in her house.

"Please. Asia doesn't have anywhere else to go right now. I just can't stand to let a friend sleep on the streets like this."

The words themselves brought forth a deathly silence. Issei gaped, his mouth hanging open while perfectly imitating a trout. Ryonaga and Kasumi stared at him with large eyes, unable to believe what they had just heard from their adoptive son, Yuichiro Hyakuya.

Asia, however...

"Uh...um..." Asia was unsure how to respond to Yu's kind offer.

She just couldn't believe what Yu had said. He... thought of her as a friend?

In all her life...she had never known to have someone like that. When she was in the Church, she was distanced away from everyone, being treated as the Holy Maiden, a symbol of worship. However...ever since that...incident...the people who once worshiped her turned their backs on her and excommunicated her.

It was because of that that she wound up in the care of the Fallen Angels, but even they were not like a family. They were more like co-workers at best.

Yuichiro Hyakuya... he was the first person to ever consider her as a friend.

Obviously, this meant something important, as the two adults of the house smiled widely. "Well, when you put it like that," Ryonaga chuckled. "How can we refuse?"

* * *

"N-no, I can sleep on the floor!"

"And Asia, I keep telling you, you can have the bed."

"B-But...I;m your guest. I shouldn't take your bed."

"You got it backwards, Asia. You are our guest, so it's natural for you to have the bed. I'm perfectly fine sleeping on the floor. I have a spare futon."

"But-but!"

Yu gave her a mock glare. "No. Buts."

"Uh...Uuuuuuu..." Asia sighed in resignation. Yu was not going to be convinced.

Giving up, she reluctantly sat atop his bed, which felt very comfortable, while Yu grabbed a futon from his closet, setting it up right next to his bed.

He unrolled the portable bedding before lying on top of it with his hands folded behind his head.

"Um..." Asia stammered as she pulled the sheets over her legs, looking at Yu, who already closed his eyes. "I-I'm sorry for being such a bother."

"Don't be." he waved her off. "Hell, if anything, I'm the bother." He scowled slightly, looking at his hand... the same one used to strangle Freed. "If I wasn't so useless... then maybe... I could have..."

"Yuichiro-san?"

"Yeah...?"

"A-about what you said earlier..." The girl's face was scarlet, her cheeks tinged with pink. "W-when you called me your friend... D-did you... really mean it?"

"Of course I do." Yu nodded confidently. "We may have only met a short while ago...but I consider us to be friends already. You have a kind heart Asia. Please don't ever lose that."

It was the honest truth. For the first time in his life, Yu could actually say that Asia Argento was his friend... his first REAL friend, ever since his family was killed. The incident had locked him up away from bonds, not wanting to make another family that he could eventually lose. But, Asia... she was gentle, kind, and honest. She reminded him so much of Akane, the girl he loved as a child, that it was hard to not come to view her as such.

Asia was a friend to him, one he wouldn't lose... not like them.

Unfortunately, he hadn't realized just how profound effect his words had, as Asia suddenly started to cry, her gentle face buried in her hands.

"A-Asia? What's wrong?" Yu got up from his futon and went over to sit next to her. Why was she crying. Was it something he said?

"I-I'm sorry..." she apologized, trying to wipe her tears away, but to no avail. They would not stop. "It-it's just..." she smiled weakly at him. "You were... the first person to think of me as a friend."

"H-huh...?" Yu raised an eyebrow in question. But in all, he was relieved that Asia was not sad, but crying tears of joy.

He waited patiently for her to calm down, watching her in silence as she tried to wipe away the great flow of tears from her eyes. It was ten minutes before she could no longer cry those wonderful tears.

And then she told him. She told him her life, about how everything had suddenly spiraled out of control.

* * *

Raynare was cursing up a storm as if there was no tomorrow. "Dammit!" she screamed loudly, throwing light spear after light spear at anything around her. "Son of a bitch! Motherfucker! Goddammit! Mother pussbucket! Fucking shit! GRAAAAAGH!"

"Raynare," Dohnaseek sighed. "Calm yourself. You've been throwing this temper tantrum ever since we lost the nun."

"NEVER TELL A GIRL TO CALM DOWN, BASTARD!" Raynare shouted right in his face. The male Fallen stepped backwards with an even expression.

"Dohnaseek is right, Raynare." a fellow Fallen, a beautiful woman with dark blue hair dressed in a tight fitting purple jacket that exposed a fair amount of her cleavage, said, obviously worried. "You've been going at this for hours. If you don't stop, then there won't be much of a church."

"HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN?!" she screamed back, her eyes lit up with fury. "WE HAD THAT FUCKING WORTHLESS PRIEST DO ONE JOB! ONE! JOB! AND HE SCREWED UP!" She began to pull at her hair in frustration. "AND BECAUSE OF HIS FUCK-UP, WE LOST THAT DAMNED NUN!"

"Maybe...but what's to stop us from just taking her back? Another fellow Fallen, a young girl with blonde hair tied into pigtails dressed in a gothic lolita dress, questioned.

"If the Devils have taken her, then we can't risk any actions." Dohnaseek informed her. "If we try anything, we start another war... and Azazel-sama will have our heads on a platter. Also..." he looked at the girl with narrowed eyes. "Did you not feel that burst of power? It's obvious who has her... and you know full well what it means to face a Seraph of the End."

"...Dammit! Why do things have to spiral out of hand?! And it's all that shitty priest's fault!"

Raynare was seething with absolute fury. Freed had only one job, and that was to take care of the little brat, and what does he go and do?! He almost gets killed, that's what! Gah, if only she could wrap her hands around that filthy little brat's neck! If only she had wiped him from existence!

"Now that the Seraph has awakened to his power, our job will only get harder." Dohnaseek surmised, shaking his head. He glared at the woman who was supposed to kill him before he became too much of a major threat. "Why didn't you make sure he was dead?! Not only is he alive, but he's also been reincarnated as a Devil! The Devils have in their possession one of the Heralds of Armageddon! And all because you DIDN'T! KILL! HIM!"

"Hey! Don't you pin all the blame on me for this! You had just as much of a chance to kill him as well you know! You could've done it before that Gremory girl interfered!" Rayanre shot back.

"Did you forget who the current Lucifer is?!" he roared at her in retaliation. "The Gremory Family OWNS that child! If he kill him, we'll have Sirzechs Lucifer's wrath down upon us! And what do you suppose we do then?!"

"Grgh!" The Raven haired Fallen bit back her words. As much as she hated it...he was right. Killing a servant of a relative to the current Lucifer is more than signing a Death Wish.

The Gremory clan treated their servants as if they were their own family. Hell, simply being reincarnated into their family was more or less an introduction into their family. Whenever a servant died, they grieved for several days. However, if blood was spilled with malevolent, they would surely be justice to be done.

If any of them killed the Seraph of the End, the Gremory Clan would hunt them down, consequences be damned.

"Dammit all!" Raynare cut through a random pew in the run-down church with a light spear. She was beyond angry and frustrated. Why did things have to turn out like this?! Now they will never finish the assignment Azazel gave them!

"How the hell are we supposed to get Twilight Healing NOW?!"

* * *

"...and that's it." Asia finished her story with a sad smile, once again on the verge of tears. "That was how I came to end up with the Fallen Angels."

Yu...was truly speechless at the tale she had just told him. He couldn't find the right words to say. He was still trying to process it all. Asia...the kind-hearted and gentle Asia...was branded a heretic and sinner by those bastards at the Church and just threw her away just because she healed an injured Devil?! The Hyakuya was beyond angry at those people's stupidity. They are nothing but overly religious, closed minded fanatics who use the excuse that all the acts they have done was 'in the name of God.'

"I-I'm sorry, Yuichiro-san..." Asia apologized, trying to wipe away the tears before they could fall from her cheeks. "I-I didn't mean to make it sound like I hate Devils."

"...Stop it." he said, coming off slightly harsh. "Just stop it."

"H-huh?"

"I don't hate you for it, Asia." Yu said, his teeth gnashing together harshly. "If there's anyone I hate, it's the Church. They had no right to do that to you!"

"Huh?"

"It was their decision to put you on the pedestal as their 'Holy Maiden'. But they just turned their backs on you after a single act of kindness! You were only following your beliefs, and they branded you as a heretic for that! All they did was watch you from afar and throw you away like you were disease to them. It makes me sick! People have no right to do something so fricking stupid like that! 'All in the name of God-Ow!' My ass! If you ask me, those guys are nothing more than leeching monsters in human skin."

Yu's body was shaking in anger, his green eyes with anger. "They're no better than the fucking vampires!" he snarled in hatred.

"Y-Yuichiro-san..!" Asia was now starting to grow afraid of his rising anger. it kept reminding her of what happened before...

' _ **ALL SINNERS MUST DIE!'**_

"All of them... They're all the same...!" he growled, his body still shaking. "Why... Why do they..."

Asia's eyes widened when she saw tears running down his face, tears of anger and sadness. "Why is that... that they always want..." he muttered, his voice growing quiet, the blistering fury becoming a silent rage. Asia's eyes softened, and her slender arms wrapping around his body, resting his head against her chest.

"Yuichiro-san..." she said, her voice so soft and gentle... just like Akane's... "Please, tell me... Why are you so sad...? Why do you harbor such anger?"

"I...I have every right to be angry...People like them...It's because of people like them...innocents get hurt while the sinful go free! It's unforgivable! Those bastards...those bloodsuckers...took away everything from me!"

"You mean... what you said before..." Asia gently brushed his hair, her hand ringing through his black locks. "About... vampires...?"

Yu's hand gently wrapped themselves around her wrists, yet he made no move to remove her hands. "...Our town was turned into a hell." he said, memories flooding back to him like water rushing from a shattered dam. "A virus broke out, killing anyone that wasn't thirteen years or younger. My family... the kids in the orphanage... we were the only ones left, along with whatever kids survived it."

His breathing began to shake with anger.

"That was when they showed up..." he gritted his teeth. "The vampires..."

His mind vividly recalled all that transpired during their 4 years in the Vampire city. He hated it. All of it! They treated them like livestock and gave them false hope!

"They rounded up anyone that wasn't dead, and hauled us off to someplace. Four years... for four years we lived under their rules, doing whatever they said. In exchange for keeping us safe, they wanted our blood. Not enough to drain us dry, but enough for them to keep going." His grip grew tighter. "They told us that all humans died... I believed it all, but I never thought of them as our saviors. All they saw us as... was fucking livestock."

He remembered those days... the peaceful, wonderful days in that hell they once called home, all huddled together in a small room, chatting their fears and sorrows away, living with strained smiles... but genuine smiles. Oh, how he wished he could relive those days, to be with his family again...!

"I was so sick of it, I couldn't take it..." he sobbed in her chest. "I want to make a place... a world for humans. We wanted to see the outside world..."

His motive for living had overwhelmed him. He yearned for the outside world so much that he willingly risked the safety of his own family. It went so far that he was actually disgusted by his best friend and brother for willingly accepting their fates.

"One day... we all decided to escape." Yu tried to compose himself, but his emotions, which had been bottled up for so long were starting to come undone, unraveled before her... the girl who had managed to break past his walls with her very presence alone. "We thought we could get away from it all... Even if what they said was true, but us not being able to survive for more than a year or so... we still wanted to see it. The outside world, a free world... Anything was better than like livestock."

Tears prickled his vision, no longer able to see clearly.

"But...we never made it...One of those Damned Bloodsuckers...that fucking Bathory...Stood in front of the exit. He was expecting us...We all learned that it was part of his sick game. He would give openings for children to escape, only to take away their hopes and kill them after they took that opportunity."

Asia didn't display any sort of emotion, simply listening to Yu's story of despair. However, her heart was aching for him.

"It all happened too fast...! He...he...he killed and sucked the blood out of them! All of them...! The young ones...they didn't stand a chance...And Akame...Akame...!"

His breathing was erratic, and his arms were shaking. At this point, he was desperately clinging to Asia like a lifeline.

The girl still said nothing. But she held him close in an attempt to calm him down.

"Mika... H-he tried to stop him... At least buy some time for one of us... any of us still alive..." Yu sobbed harder. "I managed to shoot that bastard in the head... But Mika... Mika was...!"

The image of his best friend being skewered by Bathory remained in his mind. He desperately wanted to push it away, but it was impossible.

"I didn't want to leave him... God, I wanted to stay there with them...!" Yu weeped, his arms wrapped around Asia, clinging to her desperately. Asia had her hands placed gently on his head, stroking it in a way a mother would with her child. "B-but Mika... h-he told to me run...!"

"He told me to run...to keep on living...! I...I wanted to save him...but he wanted me to live!"

"Yuichiro-kun..." Asia whispered softly, holding him close. This was truly all she could do for him... for the one who had suffered so greatly. Even the tragedy that fell upon her paled in comparison to his tragedy, to the sorrow he lived.

"I... I left them behind...!" Yu cried out, unable to stop the tears, or the emotions that were flowing out of him. "I couldn't do... anything...!"

He didn't even remember what happened after that. All he knew afterward was waking up in a hospital room.

Ever since then, after being taken in by the Hyoudou family, he had refused to allow himself to get close to others. On the surface, it was because he just didn't want to make any friends, wanting to be alone for the unforeseeable future. Perhaps it was because he didn't know how to trust anyone more... or perhaps it was because he was scared of losing his family again. To Yu, friends were more than just that, friends. They were family, the family his parents could never provide.

And for the first time in his life, ever since coming to this strange new world without the threat of vampires, without the virus that nearly wiped out humans, he had allowed himself to lower his walls, to let someone in...

"It's alright, Yuichiro-san..." Asia said soothingly, her head nuzzled up against his. "It's alright..."

"A-Asia..." Yu didn't want to lose this feeling... this fleeting moment of happiness.

For the first time in his life, Yuichiro Hyakuya had finally found himself a family he had thought he had forgotten.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the two, a figure was hovering just outside of the window, listening to their conversation. "H-how tragic..." the figure sniffled, a hand at their cheek where tears flowed from their face. "S-so sad... For a child, so young to endure such hardship...!"

The figure was a beautiful woman with long, curly golden hair that gently fell to her shoulders, dressed in a flowing white robe that only enhanced her ephemeral beauty. Surely, if a man saw her form, they would fall head over heels for her, but not be driven by lust. No, her very form resembled purity, as if she was the most brilliant shade of white, the most holiest of white, that which had never been stained before by the murk. She was 'true' beauty. However, what truly brought her an almost angelic like presence, along with the purity she embodied, were the golden, twelve wings that extended out from her back.

She pulled out a handkerchief from her robe and used it to dab her eyes. But the tears refused to stop. The heart-wrenching stories she had heard from both teens was too much for her. She was originally sent in to observe the boy...but the tragedy of his life overwhelmed her. Her compassionate instincts were close to taking over. She wanted to do nothing more than to go right in and hug him, reassuring him everything will be alright.

"Even if is one of the Children of Trihexa..." the Seraph Gabriel weeped for the two children. "No one should be so cruel...!"

Her tender, careful instincts were outweighing her rationale. SHe knew that the Children of Trihexa were the embodiments of destruction and carnage...but that was not what the boy was before her. All she saw was a child who had lost everything...and suffered by the hands of a race's cruelty.

The more she thought about it, the more she just wanted to grab the boy and hold him in her embrace. She wondered for a moment if that was how a mother should feel?

"Michael-niisan..." Gabriel said between weeps, a hand clutching at her heart. "These children... deserve so much better than what they were given..."

There are times...times like these...when she questioned the cruel fate dealt upon innocent children. But she knew better than to place blame on anyone. It is common sense to assume that there are times when misfortune befalls upon everyone.

Even still...

She just couldn't let things be. Those children deserved so much better than this.

"I will..." she hiccuped, wiping away her tears before her face became one of determination, her hands clenched into tight fists. "Watch over them! And ensure they get the happy life that they deserve!"


	4. The Holy Maiden II

A/N: Co-written with Code-Emperor07, the author of several incredible stories, each in their own right! Among his projects are **_Resurrected Trials_** , _**Crimson Dragon**_ , _**Fractured Existence**_ , and several others! I truly do owe him for this one!

For this fic, our delinquent hero Yuichiro winds up in the world of DxD due to unknown circumstances, and ends up living with the Hyoudou Family. He will be taking Issei's place as Rias' Pawn, but for the sake of the story itself, he will not be the one to inherit Boosted Gear. Don't worry, I'm not writing Issei off. I've got something planned for him. I'm still kind of iffy about making this a harem story, so we'll see how this goes first. And also, for future questions whether or not Yu will be relying on physical strength and his 'talents', not quite. You'll understand when we reach the Familiar Forest part. So, with that in mind...

The reception has been awesome, and I am glad that everyone is enjoying the story. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter... I know I do~

* * *

 **Episode 2: The Holy Maiden (Part II)  
**

* * *

"That boy..." Rias groaned, her head on her desk. "...lives to cause trouble for me!"

The two women and the rest of the ORC were seated in the clubroom, discussing the actions of a certain Pawn.

"Rowdy," the red-haired heiress said in exasperation, her face buried in her hands. "Is not the words I'd use to describe him. The Fallen Angels obviously have a need for that girl, and whatever it is... I don't like it."

"And let us not forget the fact that we caught a glimpse of what's been hiding away in Yuichi-kun this whole time." her Queen added, giggling. "He certainly lives up to his reputation."

They all knew what she was referring to. The Seraph of the End. The Being said to be a child of the Apocalypse beast. A Being said to have given birth to the idea of Armageddon. A being that has been lost for countless years.

A being that is now a part of their little circle.

"To us Devils, they are the Angels of Death." Rias said solemnly, a cold look present in her brilliant blue eyes. "To the Fallengs, the Heralds of Armageddon. And to the Angels, the Children of Trihexa... in all honesty, it rather terrifies me to see what my adorable little kouhai is like when hot and bothered."

"That truly is an understatement..." Yuuto brought up. "Yuichiro-kun was very close in unleashing a minor portion of his power..."

Koneko simply bit into a small pastry in her hands before replying to the conversation at hand. "...definitely don't want to piss off."

"Agreed. Although...him acting rebellious like this is quite concerning..."

"How do you mean?" Akeno asked curiously. "You mean, by rescuing that nun?"

"Exactly." Rias nodded. "Him doing so may earn the ire of the Grigori if the fallen in this town are not acting independently."

"Why was she there in the first place?" her Knight asked. "Given how important she seems to be, one would think they'd keep a better eye on her."

"I agree...and that itself is what's troubling..." Rias frowned.

"How do you mean?"

"If she really was important, then there would've been more Fallen Angels or Rogue exorcists sent to keep tabs on her. But there was only one even present at the time we saw them, and more Fallen Angels were on the verge of arriving."

"...and it was the crow who killed senpai." Koneko added. "She didn't look happy."

"Well, Yuichi-kun was killed for being a Seraph of the End." Akeno replied. "It's understandable... but how could they have known about him? We didn't find out up until four years ago, and even then, he remained here in Sitri and Gremory Territory. The fact that they killed him in our territory just comes to show that they took priority of killing a potential threat than worrying about another Great War."

Rias nodded. "You have a point, Akeno..." A frown settled upon her face. "Just how did they learn about Yuichiro-kun in the first place?"

"That I do not know..." The Queen shook her head. "..But I do know is that they seemed to have labeled him as a threat."

"It's understandable, if the legends are to be believed." Yuuto inclined. "And after what we witnessed last night, I kind of know the feeling." His eyes hardened slightly. "What bothers me, though... is what he said before, when he took that nun away."

"Ah yes...you mean what he said about not letting any more of his friends die...?"

"Correct."

That was the main thought on her mind. His words were troubling, but what really struck her was the context behind it. "If the reports are to be believed..." she said, a bit tense. "His foster family was killed by vampires, though the specifics were not explicitly stated."

"Vampires...?" Akeno questioned. "Are you sure?"

This was questionable, as Vampires were normally a race that refrained from associating with other beings, especially humans.

"Well, the details were murky, and the police simply wrote it off as trauma." her King replied back. "However, the bodies were not discovered, and the blood that was found on Yuichiro-kun's clothes were not his own." Rias' face became solemn. "That being said... his hatred for vampires is undoubtely real. If I were to guess, based on what he said yesterday... Yuichiro-kun watched his family being killed right before his eyes, and escaped as this happened. Although, I doubt he did so willingly... it's almost like they gave up their lives so he could live." Afterwards, she shook her head. "Then again, we don't know everything, so it's mere speculation."

Yuuto's face darkened slightly. "They died... so he could live." he muttered, his fists clenching together tightly. "It's the same... he was in the exact same position I was in."

His mind brought forth a painful image from his past. He and several other children were taken in by the Church in an experiment to determine their compatibility with the legendary sword, Excalibur. One would think of it as a dream to be able to be chosen by a symbol of myth.

However, it was all a cruel nightmare.

None of the children showed any compatibility. In the end...they were all killed.

Yuuto was the only survivor left as a result, his friends... no, his family risking their own lives so that he could live. It was not to be, however, for he had died shortly afterwards. As fate would have it, however, he was soon found in the care of the Gremory Family, having been revived as Rias' Knight. Since that day, he had abided by her rules, and her only desire of him: to live only for her.

Yu was in the exact same situation as him... his family risked themselves to save him, and they had all died. They were similar in this regard, and Yuuto could understand his fellow peerage member's apparent hatred. He understood it well, having sworn that he would one day destroy Excalibur, no matter what it took.

Yuichiro must think the same way...the reason he wanted power was to kill the Vampires and bring them all to extinction.

It was almost scary how alike they were in this regard.

"But, why would the vampires kill them?" Akeno asked in confusion. "I would understand if they learned about him being a Seraph, but why the other children? And how did they come across them?"

Rias sighed. "I wish I knew myself..." she muttered before she heard the door creaking open. She looked up see the figure in question. "Well, look who decided to show up," she remarked, frowning heavily. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Yuichiro-kun."

"Why do I have to explain myself to you?" Yu glared back at her. "You were so ready to leave an innocent bystander at the mercy of those damn crows!"

Rias winced at the harsh words. She knew what she did was wrong, but all things considered, her options were limited. It did seemed as if the nun and Yu looked close, despite being with the Fallens, so perhaps she was not affiliated with them by choice. "As I told you back then, Yuichiro-kun," she replied back calmly. "The transportation circle only works on those directly affiliated with my household. She was not apart of my peerage, nor was she recognized as an ally of the Gremory Family."

"That still doesn't justify what you did!"

"Yuichiro-kun," Yuuto spoke up. "I don't think the Fallens would have actually done anything to her."

"And how do you figure that, Sherlock? Because she's got some Sacred Gear?" he replied back sarcastically. The room was quiet upon his words. "...why the hell are you guys silent?"

"Did you just say..." Akeno tilted her head. "She has a Sacred Gear?"

"Yeah. It heals people. So what? It's not anything important."

Rias frowned deeply. "Healing... Wait, it couldn't be..."

"So you DO know something..." Yu stated the fact. His eyes narrowed even more. So they knew she had a Sacred Gear. Was that why they thought she would be spared. That's bull crap! Damn them and their naivety!

"Calm down, Yuichiro-kun." his 'master' advised him. "If she has what I think she does, then chances are, the Fallen Angels will do anything to keep her alive. That Sacred Gear is simply too valuable to them, and unfortunately, only a human being is capable of wielding it, unless forfeited by some means."

Yu's eyes widened. "Hold up, you mean it's possible for it to be transferred without the host being killed off?!"

Akeno nodded. "As a matter of fact, yes, but the method is quite old. The Grigori, the leading force behind the Fallens, hold extensive knowledge on the subject, so they might have an idea of what to do. Although, considering that we're dealing with low-ranking members, they don't have the means of removing the Sacred Gear from the nun."

"But how can you be so sure?!" Yu snapped back in argument. "For all we know, they could've stolen those means!"

"And if they had," Rias replied calmly. "They would have used it when she arrived at their front doorstep."

Yu wanted to snap back at her, but found nothing he could say to that. She was right, if they really wanted her Sacred Gear, they would have just ripped it off of her when she walked through the front door when he brought her there.

Then why...for what reason would they bring her here?! For what purpose?!

"At any rate..." Rias sighed, face-palming. "Now that you've gone and stirred up the hornet's nest, we're going to be dealing with a lot more trouble in the future. You are quite a troublesome little kouhai."

"I think you mean, daring, Rias." Akeno giggled, a mischievous grin on her face. "After all, it seemed to me like he brought her to his house. Planning on having a wedding night already, Yuichi-kun?"

Yu's face turned scarlet, spluttering. "W-what?! Hell no! It isn't like that dammit!" he snarled. "God fucking dammit, first the horndog, now you!"

"Fufufu...You're flustered face is just so adorable, Yuichi-kun." Akeno giggled.

"Gah! Shut the hell up!"

Koneko sighed as she took the last bite of her sweets. "...pervert."

"Oi!" he growled angrily. "I'm not a pervert! That's the horndog's job!"

"And, if you don't mind me asking," Yuuto looked over to his fellow peerage member. "Who's this horndog you keep talking about?"

"Issei fucking Hyoudou, that's who."

"You mean your adopted brother?"

"Yeah...him."

Don't get him wrong, Yu did care for Issei... but sometimes, he just made it so hard for that to actually happen. His antics were so annoying.

He just wouldn't stop talking about oppai, harems, and other 'wonders' of exploring the women's body. Hence why he always has an urge to smash his face in.

Some days, he wanted to wring his scrawny neck.

Yuuto chuckled somewhat. "H-he certainly sounds like a colorful person."

"That's one word I'd use..." he muttered. "Anyway, what happens now? Are the crows gonna come knocking at our front door?"

"Not if they want to start a Great War." Rias said. "Even if did take that girl, Sacred Gear or no, we have, in no way, violated our treaty, and therefore, if they take any action against us, such as killing any one of us, it is the same as declaring war."

"Meaning, for the time being, we're safe." Akeno finished. "Speaking of the girl, how is she?" A sad frown formed on her face. "She did find out you were a Devil, after all."

"Actually... she took it pretty well." Yu confessed, smiling sheepishly. "Even though she knows I'm a demon or whatever, she tried to protect me from that sleezeball Freed."

"And on the subject of that," Rias interjected. "Yuichiro-kun, do you remember your fight with him? Did he mention anything? Anything at all?"

The boy frowned, but shook his head. "No. All he said was that he was some rogue priest, or whatever."

"...I see..." Rias nodded. So He didn't remember the entirety of the fight. He didn't remember his transformation into the Seraph.

Perhaps, that in itself was a good thing. If he recalled such a thing...she didn't want to think about it.

He was power-hungry enough already... and she did not want think what he would do if he held such power at his disposal. There was also one other thing that scared her: his mentality. In his state, as one that could kill even God and perhaps the Dragon of Infinity, however impossible it seemed, he held power beyond imagination. What they had felt was not even a sliver, much less a minuscule amount. If given the opportunity, the true form of their power was beyond any one thing's imagination, and she dared not think of what he could do. However, in that state, Yu had only goal, a mentality that seemed programmed into him when accessing this power.

To punish sinners.

That in itself was a terrifying prospect. Every being in this world has sinned, in one way or another. To punish and eliminate all sinners is no more than committing absolute extinction of all life.

If such a thing were indeed the case... then it was little wonder why the Seraph of the End was considered a terrifying existence, much less a myth, for what in this world could hold the power to erase every living thing?

She couldn't leave him alone. She just couldn't. A boy possessing so much hatred toward Vampires...he wouldn't hesitate in tapping into that power if it meant their elimination.

She didn't want to think what would happen if he learned about Gasper. She shuddered at the thought. The way he is now...Yuichiro would have no qualms about killing him.

"Oi, Gremory," yu called out to her, breaking her thoughts. "You alright over there?"

She shook her head, trying to get her head back into reality. Now was not the time to be thinking of the worst case scenarios. "I'm fine, Yuichiro-kun." she told him. "Anyway, for now, we'll just proceed as normal. We'll deal with the Fallens when the time comes. In the meantime..." she rose from her seat. "Yuichiro-kun?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

She smirked at him. "Shouldn't you get to class?" she asked him, earning a confused frown. "If I am not mistaken, you have a test this period."

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, I could be hallucinating, but I do believe I saw Sona waiting outside your classroom."

"WHAT?!"

"I would imagine that she would be upset if you weren't there to take it." she grinned mischievously.

"Grgh! Son of a bitch!"

The moment he turned his foot, Yu was already out the door, leaving behind a trail of dust in his wake. Koneko stared blankly at the door, which was left swinging open slightly. "...someone's scared of Sona-kaichou." she commented, earning a collective nod. It was common knowledge that Yu and Sona never got along, but the cat-and-mouse game they had on since the first year was quite a thing to behold.

"Yare, yare..." Yuuto chuckled. "I don't believe I've ever run that fast, even at top speed."

"It looks like our dear Pawn is quite talented..." Akeno giggled.

"Indeed he is," Rias smiled slightly. 'And so much deserving of a life without hate.'

* * *

"Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" Yu screamed as he charged down the hallways. He had only two minutes left before his first period class began. He wasn't sure if what Rias said was true, but he sure as hell was not about to take a chance. He didn't want to deal with that damned bloodhound today! Especially not so damned early in the morning!

He ran past several other students rushing to class, many of which were shoved aside as he rushed. He apologized to them over his shoulder as he did not stop moving. He couldn't risk it. The consequences were too great.

He ran up the steps, or rather plowed through them, whichever you preferred, and bounced up to the next floor. He was on the second floor, but his morning class was on the third. "Dammit all, Gremory!" he shouted angrily. "You couldn't have told me this earlier!" He wasn't expecting a reply as he dashed through the halls, scowling. By now, he was going at top speed.

"Damn, what's got Hyakuya-senpai running?"

"I heard Sona-kaichou is outside his classroom."

"Wait, are they dating?!"

"Hah, fat chance! I hear today's a test!"

"No wonder he's running so fast."

"Don't wanna imagine what kaichou would do to Yuichiro-senpai if he missed his test."

"Maybe the Rogue Samurai will be caught by the Dominatrix President?"

 _'Dammit, don't you assholes have anything better to do than yap?!'_ the boy in question thought rudely as he reached the next staircase.

Seriously! What the hell is up with random bystanders just gossiping around him?! Don't they have the slightest bit of common sense and decency?! Are they all just plain idiots?!

Yu didn't take much time to ponder it as he now only had thirty seconds left before class started.

The moment he slammed his foot on the third floor, he whirled around, and saw his class in sight... and to his utter dread, Sona was leaning against the doorframe, her hands against her classes with a stoic look aimed straight at him. "Hyakuya-kun," she greeted casually. Yuichiro didn't give her any comment as he dashed forward, practically throwing himself into his classroom.

The moment he passed through the door, the bell rung. "MADE IT!" he shouted in victory, even as he slammed into the ground face first. Sona, who saw the event, sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. In truth, she was slightly hoping he was at least a second late, giving her reason to correct him. The boy was a problem child from day one, and this wasn't even accounting for his hand writing. It was as if the boy was illiterate!

He couldn't spell most words correctly, his grammar was deplorable, and his penmanship was barely legible.

It seriously made her wonder who in the unholy hell taught the boy how to write.

Just what idiot was the person who taught him?

Back in the classroom, everyone present in the room snickered at seeing Yu flat on the ground, while the teacher looked amused. "Ah, Hyakuya-kun..." she greeted, a coy smile on her face. "I'm impressed. Your on time for once."

Yu gave a muffled reply, barely intelligible, before he stood up, dusting off his clothes and going to his seat. As he did, the teacher began taking role.

Yu sat down and tuned out the teacher's words as he gazed out the window next to him.

 _'The whole thing really pisses me off...'_ he thought bitterly. _'I don't remember anything after that bastard had Asia pinned to the wall... And yet, for a moment, I could have sworn I heard Mika and everyone.'_ He frowned heavily. _'Just what on Earth did I do? And... why did Asia look so scared?'_

He looked down to the hand that nearly tore out the exorcists throat. Did...did he really become a monster or something? Why is it that he grew angry at the mentioning of Sinners?

Why had he thought about that anyway? Every person's committed at least one sort of sin anyhow. It was simply in their nature. No matter how you look at it, sin is in human beings nature. He himself is no different... then again, he supposed his was a worse sin, given his rage and vendetta against the vampires.

If Mikaela were here, he would have kicked his ass, just like before, for thinking stuff like that.

"Hyakuya?"

He ignored the teacher's call for him, despite the fact that she already knew he was here. He was still deep in his thoughts. _'There's also those damned crows who are after Asia...'_ His eyes narrowed in slight anger. ' _What the hell are they after? Hasn't she suffered enough because of those bastards from the church? She was already put on a pedestal that she didn't want!'_

"Hyakuya!"

Again, he ignored her. _'And they have the gall to just kick her out after a simple act of compassion?! Humans like them didn't deserve to exist! Their corruption is like a cancer that needs to be purged from the world. They needed to be erased!'_

He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the chalk flying right at him until the last minute. He immediately snapped back into it, and caught it with his fingers. The class gaped in awe before clapping at the sight. It was quite impressive how he was able to do that at the very last moment.

The same could not be said, however, for the mop that hit him dead in the face, sending him out of his chair.

"Yes," the teacher harumphed with a grin, pumping her arm. "I got him again!"

"Wh-whad dhe behh?!" Yu gagged as he removed the mop from his face. Seriously! Chalk he could understand...but what kind of teahcer throws a MOP at her students?! And where the hell did she even get a Mop?!

"That's what you get for ignoring me, Hyakuya-kun!" the teacher told him, still grinning. "I would have expected more from the star member of the kendo team!"

Yu felt a tick mark pulse above his eyebrow. Who the hell did this bitch think she was?! "You wanna go, you old hag?!"

"Heh, anytime, anywhere, brat!"

This exchange brought amusement to the entire class.

Sure Yu and the Teacher argue frequently, but it was still entertaining no matter how many times it happened.

"Ano, sensei?" Murayama raised her hand. "I don't mean to be rude, but... don't we have a test?"

"Ah, that's right!" She tapped her fist into an open palm as she grabbed the stack of papers off her desk.

Yu groaned, face-palming. 'This is gonna be a long two hours...'

* * *

"You know, Asia-chan," Kasumi smiled sweetly at the blonde girl. "You don't have to wash the dishes. Technically speaking, that's my job while my husband is away."

"It's alright. It's the least I can do for letting me sleep her last night, Kasumi-san."

The nun had been doing chores ever since she woke up this morning. She had cleaned up Yu's room, and shortly afterwards, she began to wash the dishes. The Hyoudou mother was vastly impressed. The girl was such a kind girl, almost as if she were a saint. She had to admit, Yu did a bang up job finding such a wonderful girl.

Although...she truly was curious as to where and how he found her. Based on the tone his had last night...something bad must've happened.

Even still, she felt happy that the boy had finally found someone he could truly call a friend. She was curious to know what she did to break that frozen heart of his, but relented, seeing that she genuinely cared for him.

She hoped that Asia would be staying with them for a while. That way, Yu would slowly open up even more to her, and maybe even get him to start branching our to others.

"Um, miss Kasumi?" Asia asked as she looked over his shoulder. "Is it true that Yuichiro-san... lost his family?"

The expression on the woman's face grew somber upon hearing that. On the other hand, she was actually relieved that Yu had taken to opportunity to tell the young girl about his past. It truly shows that he is beginning to open up. "...Yes...It's true."

Asia's face became sorrow. "...that's horrible." she muttered. "I mean... Yuichiro-san told me himself, but... that's cruel for someone so young."

"I agree..." Kasumi nodded. "...No child should go through what he experienced. It just isn't right."

"How old was he when it happened?"

The woman frowned heavily. "I believe he was... what is he now? 17? He must have 13 or 12 when it happened."

"So four years ago?"

Kasumi nodded. "When we found him at the shrine, he was covered in blood... Do you know what he called the ones responsible?" a sad smile formed on her face. "Vampires. Bloodsuckers. I don't know what made him think so, but... that's really the best you can describe them, can't you?"

Asia looked nervous. She recalled that Yuichiro claimed that Vampires were the ones who killed his family...but she still couldn't believe it.

She knew about the vampires from back during her time in the church. Vile beings, so arrogant and prideful that they wanted nothing to do with humans at all. They even isolated themselves from the world, so conceited in their prideful nature.

That was why it seemed to strange to Asia. Why would Vampires attack Yuichiro and his family if they were humans?

When she thought about it, her mind could only go back to how he acted before when Freed was about to... she shuddered at the memories. She wasn't sure what felt worse: Freed's hands roaming her body, or seeing Yu grab the man by the neck, so close to snapping it. She also remembered those wings he bore, so black and twisted and mangled like branches, and his eyes... it was quite terrifying.

 ** _'ALL SINNERS MUST DIE...!'_**

Those were the words spoken like a mantra.

Sinner... when she thought about that word, all she could think about were the people the church called heretics, herself included. Of course, the more extremist people she knew of, if only a few, claimed that everyone was a sinner, especially for the times they lived in. If that was the case, then was every human a sinner?

And... if that were the case... would Yu, in his sate... would he try to kill every human he found?

She didn't want to think about it. She just refused to believe that her friend would be willing to commit humanicide.

There was no way he could. Sure, she could see that Yu had something of an attitude problem, but that's understandable. He lost his whole family to monsters. But, she knew that, deep down inside, he was kind person.

It was just he was so consumed by hatred, regret, and sorrow that he had no choice but to embrace these impulses.

"By the by, Asia-chan," Kasumi spoke, bringing her out of her thoughts. "I've been meaning to ask... how exactly did you meet Yu-kun?"

"Ah, well, I was assigned to the Church in this town and got lost...thankfully Yuichiro-kin was kind enough to show me the way there."

"Is that right?" the woman expressed slight surprise, but smiled nonetheless. "I see... You know, Yu-kun is a bit rough around the edges, and he makes it hard for himself to make friends, but he is a kind boy at times. He just... doesn't show that side of himself often." A giggle escaped her. "It's actually because of that that he and Ise-kun get into so many fights."

"really?"

"Yep." Kasumi sighed sadly. "They used to never get along when they were younger. I suppose Ise-kun felt like we replaced him, or we were showing Yu-kun with too much attention and he got jealous. He would always try to pick fights with him, but, one day, he just stopped."

"Stopped?"

Kasumi nodded. "It was so strange, but you could see it in Ise-kun's eyes. He held this... look of guilt about him for a few days before he tried to get Yu-kun to broaden his horizons." The housewife sighed heavily. "Except... it was the wrong way to go about it."

"Eh?" Asia blinked. Just what did Issei try to do to get Yu to broaden his horizens?

"He tried to turn his brother into a pervert."

...

...Huh?

Asia tilted her head in confusion. "...What is a pervert...?"

Kasumi blinked. Once, twice, then three times. Finally, she wrapped her arms around the petite girl, crying tears of joy. "Oh, Asia-chan!" she weeped. "You truly are a godsend!"

"E-eh?" The blonde nun had a huge question mark over her head.

She didn't get it at all. What was a pervert? It must be something scary indeed of Kasumi was acting like this when she heard she didn't know anything about it.

* * *

"Achoo!" Issei sneezed violently, nearly falling off the bench. "Crap... who's talking about me?"

"Probably the kendo girls talking about how they're gonna kick your ass." Yu said as he popped a piece of dango in his mouth. "Speaking of which, don't you ever learn?" he asked, eyeing the giant lump on his head. "How many times does this make now? 124?"

"123 actually..." Issei snapped back.

"Same difference. You've been going at this so many times, it's a wonder you're still alive."

"Oi! Do not underestimate my determination to grasp oppai!"

Yu groaned. "I swear, what the hell made you into such an idiot?" he asked in annoyance. "Did Kasumi-san drop you on your head one too many times when you were a baby?"

"Shut up, aniki!" Issei retorted. "Just because you've got Murayama-san and Katase-san doesn't mean you get to gloat! It's bad enough you've got Gremory-senpai and Himejima-senpai!"

"What the hell are you even talking about, moron?" the teen rolled his eyes. "Gremory and Himejima are just in the same club as I am, same with Katase and Murayama."

"And what about Asia-chan?!" the brunette prodded, getting uncomfortably close into his personal space. "You went and brought him a sweet girl right under my nose! C'mon, aniki, what's your secret?! Why are you getting all the girls-OW!"

The bokken came swiftly down on his head, adding another lump to his head. "Dumbass," Yu snorted. "Quit yapping stuff like that. It makes you more of a moron than you already are, Oppai Baka."

"Shut it, bastard!" Issei snapped back as he rubbed the pulsating lump.

"I'm only stating the truth here." he replied. "Seriously, just give up. At this rate, your gonna wind up without a girlfriend."

"Your the last person I need to hear that from!" his 'brother' growls. "And if we're going to be talking about bad habits, what about you and skipping class, huh?! One of these days, Sona-kaichou is gonna kick your ass!"

"Oh, please." Yu rolled his eyes. "The day she catches me is the day the Underworld freezes over, and the fangs stay off blood."

"Again with the vampire reference? Dude, will you just stop it? I know you said your old family was killed by vampires, but Vampires aren't real! It was probably just some psycho serial killer dressed like one!"

Yu's eyes hardened into a glare. "Shut it, dumbass." he snapped. "I don't wanna hear any more of your bullshit."

Issei held up his hands in defense. "Hey man, I'm just saying..."

"Whatever..."

Yu scoffed. Seriously, he was sick and tired of people just dismissing his claim like that.

Then again, he supposed it was natural, since everyone not involved in the supernatural seemed to be aware of the fact that vampires existed. Even still, though... he wondered if he would ever encounter one. Would he be ready for them?

Did he have the power needed to kill one? He only became a Devil recently, and even then he still wasn't strong enough to handle Fallen Angels and grunt exorcists. Who knew how much stronger Vampires were in comparison?

"By the way, Aniki..." Issei looked at Yu, curious about something. "How exactly did you end up in Gremory-senpai's club? I mean, she's practically rejected anyone who asks to join."

Yu blinked. "Wait, seriously?"

"You mean you didn't know? Given Gremory senpai's and Himejima-senpai's popularity, a lot of students applied to join the Occult Research Club. But she turned down all of them."

"Huh..." Yu said slowly, starting to get the picture. When he recalled who the members were, he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. Including himself, all other members were Devils. _'I guess that means Gremory accepts only Devils into the Occult Research Club.'_ he thought. "Well, whatever. Doesn't change anything."

"W-what?!" Issei gawked. "How can you say that?! Your in the same club as two! Count it, TWO! Of the Great Onee-samas of Kuoh! How dare you just shrug it off like its nothing?! Don't you know how many would kill to be in your position?!"

"I would assume that there would be a lot of students killing each other in a cruel bloodbath for a pointless goal and position in which everyone will be murdered horribly and all lying in a pool of blood and corpses..." Yu deadpanned.

"Exactly, and YOU DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ANY OF IT!" the brunette exclaimed, eyes wide in absolute disbelief. "AND YOU DARE CALL YOURSELF A MAN?! And don't think for a second I forgot about how you slept with Gremory-senpai!"

Yu's face, unbeknownst to him, went scarlet upon remembering that certain occassion. "Oh, for the love of-! It wasn't like that, teme!" he snapped indignantly. "I can guarantee you, I'm still a damned virgin! We did absolutely nothing together!"

"But you don't deny you slept in the same bed with her! NAKED!" Anime-style tears fell down his face. "Aniki, you cruel heartless bastard!"

"Oi..." Yu was bringing up his sword again. "I'm not going o tell you again to shut up!"

"Hyakuya-kun," Before he could bring down his bokken, Yu froze. "Need I remind you that violence is prohibited?" He scowled as he looked over his shoulder, seeing none other than Sona Shitori, a hand on her hip, and the other pushing up her glasses.

"Nice to see you two, four-eyes." he muttered as he sheathed his wooden blade into his cloth. "So, what is it now? Gonna try to haul me in?"

"As much as I would..." the student council president sighed. "No, I am not." This caused the two boys to blinked rapidly, looking at her. Was she... serious? "However, I would like to speak with you... in private."

"Huh? Why?" Private...? Did it have something to do with Devil affairs?

"WHAT? PRIVATE?! Aniki...You...You...!'

"Shut it, horndog!"

Sona sighed, pushing up her glasses. "Hyoudou-kun, I would appreciate it if you didn't jump to conclusions." she asked of him. "I merely wish to speak with Hyakuya-kun regarding a certain matter."

Yu frowned. "If you don't mind me asking... what does it involve?"

"It would be best to discuss these things away from public ears."

Yu frowned, but nodded. The two walked away, leaving behind a bewildered Issei. He simply gawked at their retreating forms, mouth left open and eyebrows twitching. "I-I don't... believe this...!"

How...HOW THE HELL COULD THAT GUY BE SO LUCKY?!

"DAMMIT ALL, YUUUUU!"

* * *

Yu felt himself twitch. "...Oi, four-eyes." he called out to Sona. "Remind me to kick the horndog's ass when we get back."

Here's an idea. For a hated enemy, Eden will compress the heat within the victim's body and let it build up, then let it release all at once, causing them to explode from the inside.

"...Noted." She adjusted her glasses.

Inwardly, Sona felt slightly irritated. ' _For Maou's sake, will he remember my name?!'_ she gritted her teeth, her face pointed forward while Yu walked behind her. _'Not once has he called me Sona! Not even in our first year of high school!'_

They have been in the same school for years, but the boy still refrains from properly calling her by her name.

Then again, perhaps, it might have been somewhat her fault. Ever since she learned about him, he was a problem child, and was even worse when he got that damned bokken.

He kept breaking school regulations left and right without a second thought. It really irked her.

Well, at least he wasn't as troublesome as his adoptive brother. In all honesty, she wasn't even sure where to begin with those imbeciles. They were all so infuriating, and frustrating. Every day, every week, they would try to spy on the women changing over in the locker rooms. And they never learned their lesson, either! One would think they would, having been beaten to near death so many times.

They were gluttons for punishment. That is all they were. People like them will never learn from their errors.

Though they strode in silence, they quickly reached their destination. Sona pulled open the door to reveal a spacious room of sorts, holding only a rectangular table with several chairs, a chalkboard at one end, and a wall plastered with posters on the other. Papers, documents, folders: anything with everything posted as information could be found, scattered all about the table. Yu smiled wryly in amusement, seeing a familiar mass of blonde hair face-down on the table, obviously looking exhausted.

"Genshirou-kun," Sona sighed, pushing up her glasses once again. "What are you doing?"

"Paperwork..."the blonde teen groaned, his voice muffled.

"Don't look like it to me." Yu remarked. Instantly, Saji's face shot up along with the rest of him, papers flying about as a result. The boy was directed at him, jaw open widely, eyes as big as saucers, and total and utter disbelief written all over. Yu raised an eyebrow. "The hell are you looking at, Blondie?"

"N-nothing!" Saji shook his head.

"Ah, kaichou." Tsubaki greeted on the opposide side of Saji, holding what appeared to be documents. "Welcome back." She then looked at Yu, frowning slightly. "...Hyakuya-san."

He simply shrugged. "Yo."

"Huh? What is Hyakuya-senpai doing here?" Ruruko asked.

Ruruoko Nimura was a first year student, but was generally perceived to be intelligent enough to join the Student Council. Naturally, however, Yu was inclined to believe otherwise. Sure, she still had the same innocent looks, the same twin ponytails, the same green-and-white striped socks and the same clips in her hair, but he could feel it from her, along with Tsubaki and Saji. 'So, guess this means SC is made up of Devils, like Gremory's club.' he thought before Sona answered her question.

"I brought Hyakuya-kun with me to discuss something." she answered. "As much as I would like to reprimand him about using that bokken of his," she shot him a dirty look, and replied with a smirk. "When he shouldn't even have it... This matter takes precedence."

"Eeeeeeh?" Saji said, exasperated. "Your kidding... Damn, you got lucky, Hyakuya!"

"Whatever, Blondie." the teen sighed, stepping inside. "Anyway, what did you want to talk with me about, four-eyes?"

"Please don't call me that..." Sona gave him a mild glare. "But in regards to your question, it pertains to what transpired last night...as well as you harboring a nun."

Instantly, Yu's face hardened, and a visible scowl forming unto his lips. "I got enough of this shit from Gremory," he spat venomously. "So whatever you got to say, you can go shove it up your ass." His words elicited gasps from the other members of the Student Council, but Sona looked unfazed. She kept her hands on her arms as she turned around to face him fully, eyes staring back at him. He was wondering what she would say back, probably something like he should have left her-

"You did the correct thing, Hyakuya-kun."

Yu opened his mouth to retort, only for him to close it when he registered the words. He blinked rapidly, completely dumbfounded. "...come again?"

"I said you did the correct thing." Sona repeated. "While it could've potentially led to a conflict between Devils and Fallen Angels, you chose to save a girl who was in danger from the latter."

Again, Yu blinked. "...and here I thought you'd say I did something stupid." he remarked.

She offered a slight smile, which was unusual for her... at least, to him anyway. "True, what you did was stupid, but it was also the right thing." she stated. "Unlike Rias, I'm not as worried about the consequences. Regardless of whether or not she truly is affiliated with the Fallen Angels, she is still an innocent bystander. I honestly couldn't care less if she had a Sacred Gear or not."

"...can I ask something?" he raised his hand a bit. "If I had to get reincarnated, why couldn't you have been the one to do it?"

From the side, Saji snickered. "You say that now, Hyakuya," he grinned. "But trust me, be glad your master is Rias-senpai. We have to deal," he gestured to the mass of documents and information on the table. "With this! On a daily basis!"

Tsubaki sighed, adjusting her specs. "Quit complaining, Saji-kun." she admonished. "Or would you rather be swamped with the Disciplinary work?"

"Yeah, no."

Sona sighed. "Even if I wanted to, Hyakuya-kun, I wouldn't be able to." she told him. "There are several complications. Besides, Rias isn't as bad as you think."

"Oh yeah? Give me one reason why she isn't. Because lately, I'm just getting more and more pissed at her and her little group." He frowned. She didn't know the crap she put him through these past few weeks.

And that wasn't even discussing the earlier discussion today.

Sona sighed again. "Rias can... seem a bit irritating, but she is a good person." she told him. "Just give her time."

Yu scoffed, dismissing her. "Whatever..."

"Anyway, regarding the nun... I assume she has a Sacred Gear?"

"Yeah. Gremory seemed to know something about it, since it apparently heals people."

"Heals people...interesting..." Sona pressed a finger to her chin in thought. A Sacred Gear that heals people...a young woman from the Church...it sounds a lot like the Holy Maiden from the Vatican...

"What?" Yu frowned. "You know something?"

"Hyakuya-kun, what is the girl's name?" Sona inquired. Yu frowned, but relented. Sona, in his opinion, seemed to be a lot better than Gremory.

"...Asia Argento."

"I see..." So she was right. The girl he saved really is the exiled Holy Maiden.

Well, this certainly explained some things. Frankly, it also told her what she needed to know about the Fallens as well. She heard rumors that the leader of the Grigori was vastly interested in Sacred Gears. Chances were, he must have taken her into their care so he could study it... but, if that were the case, then why bring her here? Moreover, why four Fallen Angels? One of them was on par with even a Power, a highly versatile warrior of God. Only the most skilled of Devils of the lowest class could stand against one.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing heavily. She thought that this would become a regular theme. "How irritating."

"Eh?"

"Nothing, Hyakuya-kun." Sona told him. "Anyway, regardless of what Rias tells you, it's best to keep this Asia girl in your home. If you want, I can have Ruruko and Tsubaki set up a barrier around your house. That way, they won't be able to find her easily."

Yu seemed skeptical as to why she would want to help him. But he isn't one to look at a gift horse in the mouth.

"...sure."

"...rrrrgh..."

Yu blinked, feeling animosity and anger flowing directly at him. He looked to find it's source: Saji. The boy was glaring daggers at him, eyebrows twitching from annoyance, and a scowl formed on his face. "The hell are you glaring at, Blondie?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It isn't fair!" he snapped. "How come Kaichou is giving you all the attention dammit?! Don't you already have that Asia girl?!"

"SWEET MOTHER OF-! WILL PEOPLE JUST KNOCK THAT OFF?!"

Yu had just reached his breaking point. First Issei, now this guy. Is this school full of idiots?!

Sona felt a twitch reverbrated through her body. "Saji Genshirou, do you wish to be punished?"

Saji soon paled and trembled in fear. "N-No Kaichou!"

"Then do please refrain from speaking such idiotic things." she said coldly. "And besides, I have absolutely no interest in Hyakuya-kun."

"I doubt you have any preference, except for eggheads," Yu sneered quietly. However, Sona obviously heard it, and glared at him.

"Hyakuya-kun, do yo WANT me to take your bokken away from you?"

"You're welcome to try. Succeeding on the other hand is an entirely different story."

"You seem to be forgetting something, however..." Sona smirked. That alone unnerved him. She NEVER smirks. "You've only been dealing with me, and I haven't even used my own abilities."

Yu visibly paled. "W-what?! H-hey, that's cheating!"

"All's fair in love and war...and you declared war by not abiding to the regulations."

"What kind of reasoning is that?!"

* * *

"Hmhmhmmhmhmhm~"

The silver haired Vampire, Ferid Bathory, hummed as he strolled through the Vampire city, amusement present on his features.

Today was quite the amusing one. Earlier, he overheard Krul getting into another heated argument with the other Progenitors, mainly over the fact that she was searching for a lost subject. Because no one knew that she had taken the Hyakuya Sect children, rather than killing them, she could not disclose this fact at all, and as far as anyone knew, she was simply looking for a lost child who had escaped them. The others claimed it was a waste of resources, but they couldn't give up. Not when the child who escaped was a Seraph of the End.

Shame no one had any idea that the boy wasn't even here anymore... at least, not this world. He was quite surprised that Ophis would do something so daring, taking a feared monster like that to her own world. Then again, that was what made it so amusing! Especially when she wanted to revive the legend of the infamous beings!

Her reasons for doing so were still obscure to him, but he had a pretty good idea what they were. All she needed was to draw out the Seraph's power.

What came after that, though, he had no idea. A shame he wouldn't be there to see it. He really wanted to see what would happen! Just what would that boy do with all that power? Would he go mad and destroy everything? Would he obliterate the vampires of that world? There were so many possibilities, each more entertaining than the last!

He truly wish he could go and see it when it took place. Sadly, he must perform his duty in this world.

Ferrid paused when he heard what sounded like a tune playing. He craned his head up, seeing a figure sitting on one of the many catwalks above them. He couldn't quite make them out, but he recognized the tune they were humming to. It was a relatively quiet night today, so it was easy to hear. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Same old tune, same time..." he said with amusement. "Quite the habit humans make, even after losing their humanity."

On the catwalk, the figure continued to hum the tune. They appeared to be quite young, as a few vampires appeared to be, dressed in the same white garbs. Though a hood covered their head, and shadowed their upper face, they bore a feminine appearance, as well as a french-style ponytail flowing out from it, lying lazily off to the side.

The figure was sitting on the catwalk, swinging their legs back and forth, a small smile gracing their lips.

"...I thought you'd be here."

The figure turned around to see another walking toward her. He seemed to be the same age as her. He was also dressed in the same white robes as her, but his hood was pulled down, revealing his mess of pale, blonde hair and deep blue eyes which shone of solemnity.

She held a small smile. "...am I that obvious?" she asked. The boy nodded. "Your always here, always at this time." he said, walking over to her. "You know, I've always wanted to ask you this, but... why do you sing that song?"

The girl giggled. "It's the song the teacher taught us back at home, remember?"

Her words were joyful, as if she were not affected by the current state of affair, and still retained her own purity, despite how she is now. In contrast, however, the boy frowned. "...how can you still think about that?"

The girl turned and looked out to the horizon. "How could I not...?...It was back when...when he was still with us..." Her tone grew sorrowful.

The young man then nodded in understanding, knowing who she was referring to. "...I see..."

"...has Krul-san found him yet?" the girl asked quietly.

The boy frowned. "No, she hasn't... From the sounds of it, the other Progenitors are becoming suspicious of what she's doing."

"I wouldn't blame them. She's telling them to look for a lost child for no other apparent reason? That would definitely raise some suspicion."

"Yes. But she very much couldn't tell them WHO she lost. It would definitely cause an uproar."

A sad expression appeared across her face as she leaned forward, looking into the expansive world beyond them. "...I miss him."

The boy nodded solemnly. "I do, too..." he said quietly. "I do, too..."

They really missed their friend...no...their family...He hasn't been seen for over 4 years...not since that night...

The blonde-haired boy's hands clenched together. "I hope your alright... Yu-chan."

* * *

Yu's feet stopped dead in their tracks as a gentle breeze blew across his body.

He had stepped outside the school grounds and was on his way home. About a quarter of the way, he suddenly stopped and looked around, feeling as if someone were calling out to him. But there was no one even present around him, just the wind, empty streets, and the evening sky.

"What..." he muttered, looking up. "Was..."

"Aniki, you okay?" Issei called out, having walked ahead of him. "Huh? W-wait, are you... crying?"

"Huh? What do you me-?" Yu stopped as he felt the tears running down his cheek. He wiped them with his fingers and looked at them. He...he was crying...? Why?

"Are you sure your alright, Aniki?" the brunette asked out of concern.

"I.." Yu stuttered, feeling remnants of hi tears flowing down his face. "I dunno. I-I felt like... someone was calling out to me."

Unbeknownst to the two, however, they were being watched. Settled up in the sky, lounging about, was a woman with dark blue hair, wearing a violet shirt that hugged her assets dangerously, the hem barely covering up her lower nether regions. Flowing from behind her back were a familiar sight: ebon black wings.

"So, that's the Seraph of the End that Raynare and Dohnaseek failed to kill." the Fallen Angel muttered, staring at the boy with a curious interest.

She had heard of the boy from her comrades, but this is the first time seeing him in person...

The Fallen licked her lips. Even though he was far away, he looked rather cute. And that power he radiated... oooh, it was enough to make her hot and bothered.

She felt a strong impulse to just take him for herself. Unfortunately, she had her orders.

"It's such a shame..." Kalawarner giggled darkly. "If only I could persuade Azazel-sama let me have the boy... Oh well." A sickening grin formed on her face. "I suppose I can settle for seeing his face wrought with despair~"


End file.
